Avery Bradley Wants To Win Defensive Player Of The Year
BOSTON (CBS) -- After being named to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career last season, Celtics guard Avery Bradley has a taste for some end-of-season hardware.
Now, he's setting his defensive sights even higher for the 2016-17 campaign. While the first-team nod was something he had always strived for, Bradley wants to be the league's best defensive player next season.
"That's my goal: To be Defensive Player of the Year," he told reporters at an Arbella home court event in Belmont on Monday. "I feel like it's possible for me if I go out there with the right mindset."
Bradley's tough-nosed D helped the Celtics finish fourth in the NBA in defensive rating last season, and he finished sixth in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. He said he's capable of being even better in the upcoming season.
If Bradley is once again healthy after a hamstring strain ended his playoff series with the Hawks midway through Game 1, there's little doubt he can make the race interesting. But Bradley still has defensive stalwarts like Kawhi Leonard (who has taken home the prize in back-to-back seasons) and Draymond Green to contend with, so he has a bit of an uphill battle.
He may also want to brush up on his Knockout skills, after a friendly game ended pretty quickly for Bradley on Monday:
