The Commercial Appeal

Avery Bradley follows Tony Allen’s footsteps

- David Cobb Memphis Commercial Appeal USA TODAY NETWORK - TENNESSEE

When Tony Allen joined the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent in the summer of 2010, he left a void in Boston on a Celtics team that had just gone to the NBA Finals with Allen as its primary defensive stopper.

Into his shoes stepped a 20-yearold defender named Avery Bradley.

“That was my role,” Bradley, now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, said Tuesday. “I was inserted into that role instantly there. It’s always been a defensive mentality first and then letting everything else get going off of my defense. That’s my same mindset here. I think I can bring that defensive intensity every night, my cutting ability and be able to make plays for my teammates.”

Bradley, now 28, is a seasoned a 6foot-2 combo guard who is stepping into a starting role for the Grizzlies after coming from the Clippers in a deal that sent Jamychal Green and Garrett Temple to Los Angeles.

The former Texas Longhorns guard played seven seasons in Boston before he was traded to Detroit in the summer of 2017. He was then moved to the Clippers before last season’s deadline.

Now with his fourth team in less than two years, Bradley said he sees himself “fitting in well” in Memphis.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunit­ies for me to not only bring some leadership, but just coming in here and playing hard, taking whatever opportunit­ies are presented to me and just playing basketball and getting back to having fun and just playing hard for the team,” he said.

And while defense is his calling card, Bradley’s career-high 33 points in Tuesday’s 108-107 loss to San Antonio showed offense is part of his repertoire, too.

Just two seasons ago, he averaged 16.3 points per game for a Celtics team that finished 53-29.

Notable: Bradley has family in Mississipp­i. In the past, they would drive up to see Bradley play against the Grizzlies in Memphis.

“Now to be here, it’s going to be nice for my family to have the opportunit­y to come to more games,” he said.

What general manager Chris Wallace sees: “Bradley’s been an all-defensive player in the NBA on numerous occasions. He played with a great team in Boston. He’s a guy we’ve looked at in free agency before. So it’ll be interestin­g to see him the rest of the year, too, and see what he can do.”

What he’s making: Bradley is making $12 million this season, which makes him the fourth-highest paid player on the team. He has a $13 million team option for next season.

Quotable: “The most impressive thing to me is his willingnes­s and his ability to defend the basketball,” coach J.B. Bickerstaf­f said. “He is by far one of the best perimeter defenders in our game. So being able to put him out there on other team’s best offensive perimeter players is a huge benefit to us.”

Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb on Twitter @Davidwcobb.

 ??  ?? Grizzlies guard Avery Bradley shoots against Pelicans guard Frank Jackson on Feb. 9. NELSON CHENAULT/USA TODAY
Grizzlies guard Avery Bradley shoots against Pelicans guard Frank Jackson on Feb. 9. NELSON CHENAULT/USA TODAY

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