Los Angeles Lakers: Three Boom-or-Bust Players

1. Avery Bradley

Avery Bradley has the potential to make the Los Angeles Lakers a juggernaut on the defensive end (an area most people predict the Lakers will be their biggest weakness).

With Bradley in the game, the Lakers have a potential lineup of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Danny Green, and JaVale McGee. The “liability” defensively with this lineup would be LeBron. While he may not go full speed during the regular season, it is very likely that LeBron can still be a force on the defensive end come playoff time. All of a sudden, the question marks on the defensive end start to dwindle with the presence of Bradley.

But the question is if Bradley will be reliable enough on the offensive end to be kept in at the end of games.

Back in his Celtic days, Bradley was more than just a solid player on offense. He averaged 14+ points for five straight seasons, while also shooting well from behind the arc.

He became a very coveted free agent, but then everything changed when he went to the Clippers.

Almost overnight, Bradley seemed to turn into a below-average offensive player and did not come close to meeting expectations for the Clippers. He never averaged double-digit points, and his three-point shooting took a significant drop as well.

Then, after being traded, Bradley seemed to pick back right where he left off from Boston in his short stint with the Memphis Grizzlies to end last season.

Bradley went on to say, ” When I got [to Memphis], they wanted me to play as I played in Boston.”

Will the Lakers get the Celtics version of Bradley? Or the Clippers?

The answer to this question, which remains to be seen, will be a major x-factor for the Lakers season.

What is concerning is the quote from Bradley just above. In Boston, Bradley was given the green light to be a playmaker and have control of the ball. However, on the Clippers, when he was used primarily as a defensive player and off-ball offensive player, his offense plummeted.

It is concerning because on the Lakers, Bradley will also be used as part of the defensive game plan, to defend the other team’s best guard. Furthermore, he will not be in any sense a focal point of the offense, and perhaps the opposite. In a potential end of game lineup, Bradley would be last resort behind LeBron, AD, Kuzma, and Green.

Is Bradley capable of being an effective offensive player without the ball in his hands?

It is something he did not show on the Clippers, but there is a reason to believe that he can.

For one, Bradley will be able to learn from Danny Green, who is a master at playing without the ball. Green will be able to mentor Bradley and turn him into the player the Lakers need.

Second, he will be playing alongside and learning from LeBron. LeBron will learn Bradley’s game and will do what is necessary to put him in the right spots and elevate his game as much as possible.

Avery Bradley’s season could go one of two ways. If he performs well he will be a major contributor for the Lakers, and potentially start and finish games. If he does not fit into the offense, he will rarely see the floor. Only time will tell.