“He was good all-around,” Rivers told reporters in Philadelphia. “His defense was terrific and he’s starting to make the little pull-up jump shot. He’s been making the 3 for the most part; he keeps shooting them and we want him to. I’m really happy with his pull-up off the dribble. That’s a big shot for us later and he’s starting to make that. That’s big.”
In 28 games this season, Bradley is averaging 9.7 points on 43.1 percent shooting with 1.8 assists per game. Over his past five outings, those numbers have jumped to 13.8 points on 57.4 percent shooting, while also adding 3.2 assists per game.
Bradley still has strides to make with his offensive consistency. According to Synergy Sports data, he averages 0.866 points per play, which ranks him in just the 42nd percentile among all league players. Bradley has struggled to generate consistent points in transition, but maybe that’s why Rivers was raving about the pull-up jumper off the dribble, something that could make Bradley more of a threat with the ball in his hands in transition.
Let’s dig a bit deeper into Avery Bradley’s offensive numbers ( it’s just so much fun viewing stats on the new NBA.com):
35% of Bradley’s shots (94 out of 267 FGA) come from within 5 feet. Not surprising, he’s shooting 50% there.
Chris Forsberg says AB struggles to generate consistent points in transition. I’m guessing most of these buckets from within 5 feet come on cuts to the hoop or put-backs like this one:
35% of Bradley’s shots (93/267) come from 20-24 feet. He’s shooting 34% there. From the 3-point area, he’s most effective from the left-corner (11-29, 37%).
21% of his shots (57/267) come from 15-19 feet. He’s shooting a stellar 49% there. This is the midrange pull-up jumper that Doc Rivers speaks glowingly about.
Bradley may be struggling with consistency, but I think we can all see the growth in his offensive game. His shooting percentages are down significantly from last season (49 – 43%, 40 – 31% 3FG), but he’s taking more shots and no longer surprising defenses.
We can be honest and say Bradley benefits from being the 3, 4th or 5th option on offense. He’s getting a lot of open looks because defenses still have to focus on Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and others.
But… the evolution of his offensive skills is noticeable. He’s no longer going to be just a defensive stopper. And, at 22 years old, he has miles to go and lots to learn.
Who else is giddy about this kid?
Props to KWAPT for the GIFs
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