Why Avery Bradley's Injury is a Blessing in Disguise

Nov 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) dribbles in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley has now missed 16 games with an achilles injury. In the midst, of a career year, Bradley’s absence was expected to bring the Celtics struggles. The Celtics haven’t had a ton of issues without their starting shooting guard, going 11-5 during his absence.

The reason for their success has been the efforts of Isaiah Thomas, who has bumped his scoring up to 29.9 points per game. Also, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown have stepped up in a big way to provide stability in the back court.

The Texas product was reportedly expected to miss another two weeks. While Bradley’s injury is very unfortunate for a great player having a career year, it is a blessing in disguise for the Celtics moving forward.

Mar 5, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) works against Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 120-103. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Success Allows Bradley to Fully Recover

Like I said before, the Celtics are 11-5 without Bradley during his injury. This is great news for reasons other than Boston’s record. Bradley does not need to rush back from this delicate injury. He can take his time knowing his team is playing well, and come back at full strength to help his team go to the next level.

The Celtics need Bradley to come back healthy so he’s there to guard opposing team’s best perimeter threat in big games. I personally am not worried about a dip in production when Bradley returns. He is as steady as it gets for an NBA player, and getting him back fully healthy should be a priority for the Celtics over the next few weeks.

Dec 7, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 117-87. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Smart’s Bigger Role

With Bradley out, Smart has taken over a bigger role. He has flourished when given more minutes, which has been key to his improvement as a playmaker.

When Thomas was out with a groin injury, Smart was forced to make plays, which helped him come along as a player more quickly. Now that Bradley is out, it’s a similar story. He has improved his game further, and will certainly bring a dynamic edge to the second unit after doing well against other team’s starters.

Bradley’s hamstring injury against the Hawks practically doomed the Celtics. They didn’t know what to do without their starting two guard, but now they’ll have a solution if he goes down again.

Jan 27, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) drives the ball against Orlando Magic forward Damjan Rudez (3) in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated Orlando 128-98. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jaylen Brown’s Development

Brown has started in Bradley’s place for the majority of his absence. Over that period of time, Brown has played his best basketball of the season. This has led to the rookie swing man developing at much faster rate than he did before.

Once Bradley comes back to the starting lineup, Brown will join Smart in the second unit, where the two players can terrorize opposing team’s benches with their confidence and versatility. Brown is a dynamic young player, and now he has gained invaluable experience to help him develop into the player all Celtics fans hope for.

I expect the Celtics to start to look really dangerous as a basketball team once Bradley returns. Their starting five will be able to put the hurt on other teams, while the second unit’s play will put some serious separation between the Celtics and their competition.