Avery Bradley will be the Detroit Pistons’ unsung hero
Avery Bradley was acquired via trade for Marcus Morris. What should the Detroit Pistons expect out of him this coming season?
Detroit Pistons’ newcomer Avery Bradley has been known as one of the best defenders in the league. Since he stepped foot on the hardwood in 2010, he has grown into an elite defender. The Boston Celtics selected him 19th overall in the draft, a very successful selection.
While being selected 19th, he only appeared in 31 games, mainly putting in garbage minutes. It wasn’t until his second season that the Celtics and the rest of the league began to notice. He played in 64 games, starting in 28 of them. His points per game rose to 7.6 and he also shot a superb 40 percent from downtown.
Since then, his game has continually evolved. Bradley’s final season with Boston was his best yet, tallying 16.3 points per outing and 6.1 rebounds, along with 1.2 steals.
Related Story: Pistons trade Marcus Morris for Avery Bradley
During Bradley’s introduction with the Pistons, he took the time to answer some fan questions. His answers did not disappoint, as he hyped up this coming season for himself and the team.
I want to be DPOY and make the All-Star game. Making the playoffs an giving ourselves the chance to win a championship. https://t.co/nKGmHXSNMh
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) July 13, 2017
Could Avery Bradley actually make do and win Defensive Player of the Year? And be named to the All-Star team? Seems more realistic than the Pistons winning a championship anytime soon.
But what will Avery have to do to reach these goals? Being the new leader for Detroit, he will have much more opportunities to display his talents than he did with Boston. Bradley and Andre Drummond should get along very well, since Bradley will require more attention, opening more space for Drummond to operate.
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Avery also seems excited to play alongside Reggie Jackson. While fans are skeptical of the point guard, if he can return to his former self, Detroit could be quite scary in the East.
It is not too much to ask for Bradley to step up his game and average over 20 points per game. His rebounds should stay firm around 5-7 per game, but Bradley should see a number increase in the assist department. Especially with Jackson not being the best distributor.
Best case scenario shooting-wise for Bradley would be to shoot above 40 percent from three-point range and above 50 percent from the field. If he can do that and still maintain his defensive prowess, Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Star bid is not out of the question.
The most important story, though, is making the playoffs and competing for a championship. While a championship, especially this season, is quite unrealistic, a playoff spot in the weakened East is very much so realistic.
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While it is easy to be bias and project Detroit to do remarkable things, reality still needs to set in. If the Pistons act anything like they normally do, injuries and chemistry will be a huge problem. They could even be on the outside looking in during the playoffs. Avery Bradley at least gives us fans hope that things can be different this season. Only time will tell.