Bradley Return To Savor, Not Savior

According to the latest reports, Celtics Guard Avery Bradley is set to return to the starting lineup tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 p.m.).

Whether this is or isn't yet the case, I feel that there are certain things Celtics fans need to get straight before his name is ever announced to take the court for the first time this season since double shoulder surgery sidelined him from the middle of the 2011-2012 Playoffs to the present.

First, here's what Bradley is NOT:

The Messiah, Superman or Harry Potter. He's also not Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. He's not even Joe Dumars (yet, though he certainly has the skillset and determination to someday take a seat at the same table). Hell, until he gets his wind back and rust off, he may not even be Tony Allen, who he figures to see some time guarding tonight, if reports are correct.

What I'm trying to say here is that there are many out there who would have you think that the return of Bradley is going to be all it takes for the Celtics to regain last year's Playoff form and as soon as he suits up for the team, it's lights out for the rest of the NBA. That he'll come back and his dogged, tenacious and ferocious brand of defense will somehow erase the fact that there are still 8 new teammates who have never shared the court with him as a Celtic and two more who didn't share much if any significant playing time with him last year, either.

The defensive (and offensive) lapses that the Celtics have suffered that have been costing them a slew of winnable games are attributable to those new players on the team not yet grasping the "Celtic Way." These are things that Bradley can undoubtedly help them with, but not save them from. The work will have to be done on the practice court, in the video room and during games and it has to come from everyone, not just Bradley.

Here is what Bradley IS:

He is a 6' 2" shooting-guard-trapped-in-a-point-guard's body with a career scoring average of 5.6 who also happens to carry a trunkload of that aforementioned ferocious, tenacious, dogged and scrappy energy mixed with tremendous athleticism that allows him to overcome his lack of size against taller offensive players and score against just about anyone who dares guard him with an array of cutting, slashing drives and an accurate 3-point stroke.

Bradley is, to be sure, a major defensive cog in any machine that the Celtics hope to drive through the Playoffs and towards the Finals and his presence will pay major dividends for this team once he gets his legs underneath him and his stroke free from 7 months worth of cobwebs.

That said, the chances of Bradley fulfilling his potential is VERY strong. Based on his track record, he ranks as one of the most mentally tough (he fought through a rookie year filled with adversity that included a broken ankle, a year-long shooting slump and almost zero playing time) and physically toughest (this kid played through not one shoulder dislocation, not two dislocations but three reported shoulder dislocations and played through the playoffs while suffering the injury repeatedly until doctors advised him that he might do lasting damage if he continued to play!!!) players in today's NBA.

The key for everyone to remember is that Bradley underwent 2 shoulder surgeries (each shoulder!) and the jury is going to be out as to whether his physical troubles are behind him until he makes it through the playoffs without incident. Fans have to be patient with him and not expect rainbows dropping Skittles from the skies in his first, fourth, or even fifteenth game back. What we SHOULD all do is savor the fact that he HAS returned and watch him do what he does best -- something that the entire Celtics roster and even those around the rest of the NBA can learn from -- play lock-down, knock-down defense. The individual and team success will come in time.

 

Wolves Huff And Puff, But C's Blow Them Down: 104-94

Last night, a pack of hungry wolves came to the door of a house, looking to find some easy prey after a satisfying hunt in Philadelphia on the previous night. Unfortunately for them, the house that they came to visit was the Boston Garden, and the door they chose to knock on was answered by Kevin Garnett and his axmen Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry and company.

 

Though they huffed and they puffed (mostly in the second quarter), the T-Wolves were ultimately blown away by a better-by-the-game green team that put up 57 second-half points and shot a toasty-warm 55% (52.6 for the game) while doing it.

 

Oh, sure, they made the game interesting in the first half, even carrying a four-point lead into halftime thanks in no small part to the efforts of Wolves All-Star and double-double machine Kevin Love (19 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists), but there was just far too much KG (18 points on 8-13 shooting, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal), Truth (18 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist), Jet (17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 dimes), and Rajon Rondo, who returned from his “exile to Mexico” and picked up where he left off with 17 points and 11 assists (can’t you just smell another streak coming?)

At one point, it appeared as though the Celtics might have a real dogfight on their hands (get it? Wolves/Dogs? No? Okay…!) with the tandem of Love and Nikola “Everyone-Calls-Me-‘Non’” Pekovic (14 points, 9 boards, 2 steals) attacking the C’s defense from all angles, but once the Celtics were able to settle down and with Garnett tying on a cape and doing his best Superman impression, the game ended pretty much the way the events of Superman 2 played out: Trio of super-villains (one of them apparently played by Pekovic) comes to town and terrorizes the locals, even gaining the upper-hand on Superman. But, after Supes settles down (literally…with Lois Lane!), he and the fair citizens of Metropolis shut ‘em down and send ‘em packing.

Speaking of settling down -- Brandon Bass, who started the night off by struggling to find his shot, really made an impressive turnaround, coming back in the second half to turn in one of his best all-around games of the season, scoring 12 points, grabbing 8 boards, swatting 3 shots, snatching 2 steals and registering 1 assist. Bench counterpart Jared Sullenger also wowed with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 assist in only 18 minutes.

Getting back to the star of the game and a sentiment expressed that sat in my gut like two stale donuts… Say what you want about KG loving to play his old team and really rising to the occasion each time the Celtics face the Timberwolves, but the fact is that The Big Ticket has been seriously holding it down for the C’s since the first jump ball of this early season. At 36 years of age, he’s averaging 15.7 points per game -- that’s not even four points lower than his career average of 19.3 ppg – and 7.5 rebounds per game -- 3 fewer than his career average of 10.6, so it’s not just Minny coming to town…this guy has been stellar, period.

As for the rest of the stats: Other Timberwolves did different things, but who cares? They weren’t the ones watching Gino on the Jumbotron. You wanna know? Check the box score!

Tale Of The Tape

THE BUZZ: 

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Friday, December 7th, 2012
7:00 pm
@ Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia