BOSTON – With the Maine Red Claws solely affiliated with the Boston Celtics, we expect to see NBA players coming from Boston to Portland to receive needed playing time.
A good thing, right?
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Avery Bradley did not see it that way two years ago.
“For any young guy, you feel like it’s a punishment, being sent to the D-League,” Bradley said. “After a while, I realized it was to help me, and help me feel more comfortable.”
Bradley, who turns 22 next month, was the Celtics’ first-round pick in 2010. As a rookie, he was fighting for playing time.
Now Bradley is working to get healthy following off-season surgeries on each of his shoulders. The defensive guard is expected back in mid-to-late December.
“Right now it’s all about strength,” Bradley said last week. “I’ve been shooting for about three weeks. I’m not all the way there.”
Two years ago there were doubts Bradley was going to get far in the NBA.
When he was drafted out of the University of Texas, Bradley was a shooting guard who didn’t score a lot (11.6 points per game). He was slowed by ankle surgery the summer before the season, then played only 14 games through Jan. 12, 2011.
“My confidence was shot. It was gone,” he said.
While Bradley didn’t agree with the decision, the Celtics sent him to Portland to regain that confidence. Bradley, only 20 at the time, found himself among teammates older and more experienced.
“Maine was great for me,” Bradley said. “I was there with a great group of guys. All of them wanted to help me. I was willing to listen to them. It helped me become a better player.”
Bradley played nine games with the Red Claws, averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists. But his improvement went beyond the numbers.
“I got my confidence back,” he said.
“Once I got up back (to Boston) my whole attitude changed. It made me even hungrier. My first practice back, I dunked on Kendrick Perkins. Everybody went crazy.”
Now Bradley is a key part of the Celtics. He played 64 games last year, starting 28. While his scoring average may have been only 7.6 points a game, he was voted one of the league’s best perimeter defenders in a survey by NBA general managers.
He started 10 playoff games last year but the shoulders were too painful, too easily separated.
“Got to the point where you could just pull my shoulder out,” Bradley said. “It was bad.”
He missed the Eastern Conference finals against the Heat.
And now Bradley is going to miss the season opener Tuesday at Miami.
“That’s going to be very hard,” he said. “Some of the (preseason) games I couldn’t even watch because I want to play so bad.”
Avery Bradley is hungry again, just like he was 22 months ago, when he rediscovered his desire and confidence in Portland.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: KevinThomasPPH
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