A newly acquired defensive standout, Avery Bradley needs to standout in his first year with the Detroit Pistons. Five marks he can aim for to ensure that.
The Boston Celtics reluctantly traded Avery Bradley to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for forward Marcus Morris. It was a preemptive move required to make room for Gordon Hayward‘s max contract.
In a seven-year stint with Boston, Bradley climbed to the top tier of defensive guards, and was a consistent contributor in the playoffs.
Last season he averaged 16.3 points and 1.2 steals per game. With sights set on getting better, five goals Bradley should aim to surpass in his debut season with the Pistons.
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1. Average 1.6 Steals Per Game
In new scenery, it’s not rare that players change up their means of attack, to better suit their new team’s needs. For Bradley and the Pistons, he needs to maintain his defensive prowess.
Detroit was one of the better defensive teams in the league last year, allowing opponents an average of 102.5 points per game. That ranked them 7th in the league, after posting the 8th best defensive rating (107.1).
Adding Bradley to the mix, while also losing Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, should maintain their place as a better defensive teams.
While other players should be looking to improve their offense, the former Celtics guard should aim to increase his touches on the other side of the ball.
2. Play All 82 Games
This should seem obvious, but Bradley should aspire to play all 82 games next season. He missed 27 games last year due to a mixture of Achilles and hamstring issues.
There’s going to be more rest days in between games, so he should play smart and recognize his limits in big games. After coming off a low point season health wise, Bradley would be wise to take things slow, and be a consistent presence all season long.
The Detroit Pistons have only five players (on the current roster) that appeared for at least 75 games last season. Consistency is a weaker point for the team here, and though very uncontrollable, should be monitored.
3. Shoot At Least 42 Percent from Three
It’s been said over and over, but the Detroit Pistons do not shoot well from three. They were one of the worst teams (28th out of 30) last year, after averaging 33 percent on a nightly basis.
Bradley isn’t a knock down shooter by any means, but he averaged 39 percent from deep last season. No player on last year’s Pistons shot higher than him, with Reggie Bullock ranking first on that roster (38 percent last season).
Improving his own shooting will help translate into that team ranking, and hopefully rub off on others.
4. Score 1,000+ Points on the Year
Though he recorded a career-high in points per game last year, Bradley recorded only 894 points. He had recorded 1,000+ points in the two seasons prior. His injuries assuredly prevented his making this mark, but he should still make this a goal for the year.
Four Pistons recorded 1,000+ points last season, and two of them are no longer on the roster. Tobias Harris and Andre Drummond both reached the scoring mark last year, and Bradley could join them there this season.
Every player is looking to carry momentum from season to season, transcending the prior season’s standard. Bradley had an off year last year, expect him to get back on track.
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5. Make the NBA All-Defensive First Team
One of the best defensive players in the league, Bradley earned this honor once before with the Celtics in 2016.
Most considered it a snub when he wasn’t included last season. Though his health was likely to credit for that.
It’s a new season with a new team, but it’s the same Avery Bradley. Look for his name to be among those rumored for this team come the end of the year.