Avery Bradley, George Hill, and the NBA’s early unsung heroes
By Jack Maloney
One of the the most chaotic offseasons in recent memory came and went and now, somehow, we’re already two weeks into the regular season. We know how the stars — Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan — are faring, but now let’s take a closer look at some of the unsung heroes of the first few weeks of action.
Avery Bradley – Boston Celtics
Avery Bradley has a well-earned reputation as one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders, and that hasn’t changed this season. But what has changed is Bradley’s production on the offensive end. Through the first six games of the Celtics’ season, Bradley is averaging career-highs in scoring (19.5 points) and 3-point shooting (44.4 percent). In addition, he’s also pulling down a career-high 8.7 rebounds, which leads the Celtics. The increased scoring output from Bradley is a large reason why the Celtics have the second-best offensive rating in the league (110.7 points per 100 possessions) despite the fact they haven’t been fully healthy in a single game this year.
George Hill – Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz desperately needed help at the point guard position coming into the season, and hoo boy have they found a savior in George Hill. The veteran has transitioned seamlessly from Indiana, raising his scoring from 12.1 points per game to 20.4 which, in addition to leading the Jazz, is also a career best. The main reason for Hill’s scoring increase is that he’s been a serious threat from the outside, knocking down down 43.2 percent of his 5.3 3-point attempts per game. In addition, Hill has been handing out 5.0 assists per game, just 0.1 shy of the best mark of his career. Everyone expected Hill to come in and stabilize the position, but he’s done much more than just manage the game for the Jazz; he’s been a leader on the offensive end, and a key figure in their 5-3 start.
Patty Mills – San Antonio Spurs
The post-Tim Duncan era has been business as usual down in San Antonio, in large part thanks to the strong work of Patty Mills. The eighth-year guard has already started three games — the same number of games he started all last year — and is averaging career best marks in minutes (22.7), points (11.6), and 3-point percentage (47.2). In addition, Mills has a team-best plus-21.0 net rating, helped immensely by his league-leading 120.3 offensive rating. And sure, individual offensive rating isn’t the greatest stat, but it’s never a bad sign to be at the top of that list.
Thabo Sefolosha – Atlanta Hawks
There was plenty of change down in Atlanta this offseason, but one thing that’s stayed exactly the same, at least so far, is their defense, which has once again been stellar. Last season, Atlanta finished second in the league in defensive rating, which is right where they sit so far this year, allowing just 94.0 points per 100 possessions. Wondering how the Hawks are 4-2 and hold an Eastern Conference-best plus-10.4 point differential? The man that deserves a large majority of the credit is Thabo Sefolosha. The veteran Swiss swingman is often responsible for guarding the other team’s best player, is second in the league in steals (2.8 per game), and holds a league-leading plus-25.0 net rating. It’s pretty simple down in Atlanta this year: good things happen for the Hawks when Thabo Sefolosha is on the floor.
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T.J. Warren – Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are just 2-5 this season, but that includes a three-point loss to the Thunder and a six-point defeat at the hands of the mighty Warriors; the Suns aren’t a playoff team, but they have a lot of nice young pieces. One of which is T.J. Warren. The 14th pick in the 2014 Draft, Warren played well in stretches last year, but has broken out this season, and arguably been the Suns’ best player. He scored a career-high 30 points against the Thunder in the second game of the year, followed it up with 26 against the Warriors, and until Devin Booker’s recent scoring outburst, had been Phoenix’s leading scorer. He’s averaging 21.7 points on 40 percent shooting from downtown, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.1 steals — all of which are career highs.