As Avery Bradley draws nearer to a comeback, expectation are starting to mount at Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics have had it rough so far this season.
Their backcourt acquisitions in the form of Courtney Lee, Jason Terry and Leandro Barbosa have failed to click, and with the dog days all over them, the team has been desperately looking for a spark. That could come with the arrival
of their third year shooting guard Avery Bradley, who has been out so far, recovering from surgeries to both his shoulders.
Bradley has taken a lot of time to get fit, but if he makes a planned comeback in Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, that can come as a big boost to Doc Rivers, who has been struggling to get the best out of his players,
especially when it comes to defence. Bradley seems confident that he can return as expected.
"Just like any other day," Bradley said before the team's practice. "I'm going to prepare today, we're going to go through practice, go over the plays, make sure I know what's going on. And tomorrow I'm just going to go out there
and play as hard as I can, prepare like a regular game day for me."
It was late last season when Bradley replaced an injured Ray Allen in the C’s starting lineup, and formed an excellent back court partnership with ace point guard Rajon Rondo. His impact was so significant that Rivers kept Bradley
in the starting lineup even after Allen fully recovered. The coach will however have to wait for the merger to take place again as Rondo is nursing a hip bruise, he suffered in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers last week.
"We're just going by how our practice looks. If (Bradley) looks ready to start, he'll start, he's a starter," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "But if he doesn't, we'll wait. And also, right now, with Rondo and his hip, we don't
even know what Rondo's going to do. We know we're not going to practice him today, and not sure if he'll play tomorrow. That takes on a whole different bit."
Bradley’s return can go a long way in helping Rondo, who has seen extended minutes so far. Bradley is more of a combo guard with excellent ball handling skills and with him on the court, Rondo can focus more on scoring rather than
worrying about creating offence for others.
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