We know what kind of reception Ray Allen is going to get from the fans when he returns to Boston as a member of the Miami Heat. We know how Paul Pierce feels about Allen bolting for the enemy.
But Avery Badly, the guy who basically took Allen’s starting job, he feels differently.
He was just glad he got to play with Allen and learn from him, Bradley told ESPNBoston.com.“Ray was a great tutor,” said Bradley, who struggled with his ability to generate offense early in his NBA career but blossomed last season as he became more confident in his jump shot.
“I’m sad that he’s gone, but we all wish the best for him. But he definitely meant a lot. He helped me out every single day. Sometimes I’d just be working out and he’d be watching on the side. He’d get up and tell me what I needed to work on, or tell me how I can be more consistent. I really thank him for that.”
Nice of him to acknowledge that.
But Boston made the right move for them, even if it means Miami gets better in the process.
Bradley brings very different things to the floor than Allen, specifically man defense on the perimeter. For the way Boston plays, that matters a lot. Now with Jason Terry coming off the bench to provide scoring and shot creation Boston doesn’t need what Allen brings as much as it needs what Avery brings.
Besides, Bradley can knock down shots — he was a 49 percent shooter last year (up from 34 percent his rookie year). And he can thank Allen for some of that. Actually, he just did.