The Miami Heat have been needing a defender at the point of attack for a few seasons now. They finally landed that guy in Avery Bradley and he is lockdown.
The Miami Heat definitely needed to make some minor moves this offseason and that they did. Late Saturday afternoon, Miami agreed to terms with former Los Angeles guard, Avery Bradley.
Bradley fills an important need for Miami because he is what we call a “point of attack defender”, which Miami desperately needed. He’s not just any POA defender though, he’s one of the best.
Bradley has always been one of the top perimeter defenders in the league. Bradley, back in the day, gave Dwyane Wade hard times, which shows you what type of defender he is.
Now, I know that this was some years ago but in more recent times, Bradley has given Kyrie Irving some trouble as well. This goes for the other top guards in the league as well.
Last year, Miami did not have a guy on the roster that could guard point guards for the entirety of a whole game. So, acquiring Bradley was an under the radar move to those on the outside looking in, but Miami fans should know that this move will only make life easier for Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro.
The Miami Heat needed to get better defensively when it came to their guard rotation. They did just that with the acquisition of Avery Bradley.
Bradley has quick hands and great timing when stealing the ball. He will pick you up full-court to hound you all the way.
When he is not picking you up full-court, Bradley will pick you up the moment you cross half-court to harass you too. Bradley gets a lot of steals and tips when he is the help side defender.
So, even when he isn’t an on-ball defender, he is still making impactful plays defensively. Offensively, Bradley can do some things as well.
For example, Bradley was good when used in the dribble handoff motion, which is something that Miami uses a lot in their offense anyway. We know the mid-range game is a dying game in today’s NBA but this past season, Bradley shot 51 percent in the mid-range and 36.4 percent from three.
What this means is that he can knock down open looks from anywhere he’s given the chance, but more importantly, he can space the floor for Miami. Bradley fits in Miami’s offense really nicely with his ability to relocate to an open area to hit threes as well.
Basically, he does a few things that the Miami Heat should simply absorb, as they are the things that are already emphasized in their philosophy. Whether it be offensively or defensively, he seems tailor-made for the Culture.
I really love this move for Miami. It addresses a need that they badly needed to be addressed.
Also, it still keeps Miami flexible for next offseason as well. He’s yet another plug and play guy for Miami, who can come in and do his job.
Bradley can start or come off the bench for Miami, as he’d be just as effective anywhere. This is another reason why love this move for Miami because it also continues to give them lineup flexibility, depending on who the opponents are.
All and all, this was a great all-around get for Miami. The fact that he feels a pressing need, a legit and elite point of attack defender, is only a cherry on top.