Avery Bradley is burning the NBA with his new-and-improved three-pointer

In 16 games so far this season, Avery Bradley is shooting 41.8% from three-point range on 91 attempts for the Boston Celtics. With six performances of over 20 points scored, it's the most impressive overall stretch of his career. But it has some critics wondering if this is merely a hot streak, and not Bradley's actual development.

However, this level of play being the next stage of Bradley's development has already been covered a handful of times -- here, here, here, here, here, and here -- so for CelticsBlog readers, watching him now feels like a fantasy come to fruition.

And even if this is just a hot streak, it's noteworthy that percentage-wise this isn't even the hottest stretch of Bradley's career from three-point land.

That came last season over another 16-game stretch, from December 23 to January 24, when he shot 48.3% from downtown on 60 attempts, which was one of the NBA's best percentages at the time.

Bradley's usage was a lot different back then, as only 30.9% of his shot attempts came from behind the arc, compared to 42.7% this season. The Celtics are now correctly utilizing him more as a sharpshooter, and they're reaping the benefits, which is precisely why this is more than just a flash in the pan.

It's somewhat unreasonable to expect Bradley to develop into a Klay Thompson or Wesley Matthews type of a three-point shooter. But the Celtics are using him more similarly to those sharpshooters, and he's clearly extended his range while his confidence appears to be at an all-time high.

Avery Bradley is already radiating heat that can be felt from miles away, but maybe tonight in Mexico City we'll see him burst into flames against the Kings, who have the 5th-worst defensive rating, and allow more threes than any other team in the NBA.

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