Bloodhound Bradley

Sounds like a WWE wrestler. It does fit well after the relentless display of defense he showed against the Nets last night.

Before this season I honestly didn't know where Doc's heaps of praises on Bradley’s defensive skills were coming from. Having rarely played last season, it might have been on display only at practice. Did he make life difficult for Rondo during practice? We may never know.

What we know now is that he is capable of terrorizing opposing guards with his quick anticipation, speed and good lateral movement. The downside in mentioning Bradley is how quickly we are reminded of his difficulties in fitting in offensively.

First thing that Bradley needs to realize I think, is that there are only handful of players who are known for their defense as much as their offense. Rare players like, say, Gary Payton or KG has claim to that distinction. For Bradley, he doesn’t need to be a spark plug; he just needs to fit in well enough not to disrupt the offensive flow of the game.

Most defensive players plying their wares at the SG/SF position like Shane Battier, Keith Bogans, Anthony Parker and the retired Bruce Bowen are known spot up shooters. They mostly hang around the perimeter to take advantage of defensive lapses. However, Bradley's mid range game doesn't seem to extend that well to the 3 point area. Tony Allen on the other hand, is also not known to be an accurate perimeter shooter but he uses his athleticism and leaping ability very well to compensate for that (check out this TA mix for some bittersweet memories http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSYN4DbituA).

Bradley needs to assume an offensive identity. Does he prefer working on extending his range and be a spot up threat or mimic Marquis Daniels' ability to move without the ball, cutting inside the basket for easy shots where he can exploit his leaping ability and athleticism?

A steady playing time should give Bradley enough chance to sort this out. For now he already left us enamored with his defense, the way Bass has awed us with his offense. This is a rare opportunity for him to step up and show what he can do.