Avery Bradley was one of the Los Angeles Lakers signings last offseason. He was brought in to bring spacing and toughness on defense.
Avery Bradley isn’t a star for the Los Angeles Lakers, but that’s okay. He never has been and never will be. But, what he does possess, is a 3-point shot and is an aggressive defender that isn’t afraid to take on challenges and that’s what the Lakers need.
When you look at game tape over the years, you won’t find many players in the league that are willing to fight through screens like Bradley. He plays a role such as a number one corner in the NFL, he will shadow you.
Injuries have plagued him. He isn’t what he used to be but he’s provided the Lakers with positives. He is shooting splits of 44.4/36.4/83.3, is well above average. His TS% is up to 53.7 percent which is the fourth highest of his career.
His DBPM sits at 0.4 which is the second-highest of his career. That number is higher than when he was awarded the All-Defensive second team in 2013 and All-Defensive first team in 2016. He is also tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best shooter.
He won’t light a team up, but he is positively impacting the Lakers and helping them win games. He displays unmatched energy and he was just getting back to his healthy self before the NBA suspension hit.
When games slow down in the playoffs, that’s where Bradley becomes a huge asset. He will pick up full court and throw a team’s rhythm off that’s running halfcourt sets. He’s a pest, in a good way.
His shooting also allows the Lakers offense to spread out and create 1-on-1 mismatches for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Not too forget, they got him on a two-year deal for less than $10 million!
Let’s take a look at Bradley’s top three games for the purple and gold.