Avery Bradley set a goal for himself at the beginning of this season: He wanted to earn a spot on the NBA’s All-Defensive first team for the first time in his career.
Speaking with MassLive.com on Friday in Cleveland, the Boston Celtics guard conveyed his belief that he’s done more than enough to at least be considered for that honor.
“I think I should make the defensive team every year,” Bradley said. “I know I’m the best on-ball defender in the NBA.”
The fifth-year guard’s defensive prowess is well-known around Boston, but not so much throughout the rest of the nation. Bradley earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team in 2012-13 but garnered just four total votes last season — in which he missed 22 games and his team stumbled to a 25-57 record.
Even among Celtics fans, Bradley’s skill on defense seems to have been discounted, with rookie Marcus Smart earning the reputation among some as the team’s most tenacious defender.
Still, Bradley believes he’s the best, and that if his peers gave the matter enough thought, they’d believe it, too.
“I just know that (I’m the best on-ball defender),” he told MassLive.com. “I know if players sat down and thought about it, they’re going to say me. For sure. Not to take anything away from anybody else.
“I don’t even know (if some votes are based on reputation) because I thought I had that reputation. But last year, I don’t think I got any votes. It’s crazy.”
Thumbnail photo via Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports Images
