Tony Bradley didn’t get much run with the Utah Jazz during his rookie year, but he’s working hard for a better shot this season.
Considering he emerged as the team’s go-to guy, dropped a nifty 20-4-4 line and led the team to a dominant first-round playoff series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Donovan Mitchell just had the best rookie season in Utah Jazz history.
In light of that, not to mention the fact that Royce O’Neale had a strong first year in his own right, people mostly overlooked the presence of a third rookie on the squad. Namely, 2017 first-round pick — and No. 15 in our Jazz rank countdown — Tony Bradley.
Seeing Bradley on the court was a rare occurrence last season. He spent most of the 2017-18 campaign in the G-League with the Salt Lake City Stars, playing just 29 total minutes at the NBA level. Meanwhile, Ekpe Udoh and Derrick Favors gobbled up the back-up center minutes behind Rudy Gobert.
To say he didn’t get much of a shot to contribute is a massive understatement. But the former North Carolina Tar Heel isn’t content to collect his guaranteed cash and not play in the Association again this season. He’s been working hard to transform his game and his body and force his way onto the floor.
As a result, the 20-year-old literally looks like a different player than the teenager who joined the team in June of ’17. Per reports, he’s grown an inch over the last year and is suddenly seven feet in shoes (with a ginormous 7-foot-6 wingspan). He also has strength and mobility that wasn’t there before.
Said Bradley, via the Deseret News —
"“I feel like I’ve gotten stronger and I feel like I’m moving better. Just my body’s different. I’ve put on some muscle, gotten a little leaner and I’ve lost some body fat.”"
The fruits of his labors were evident during summer league play. Although Bradley was limited to just five games thanks to a wrist injury, he looked like a superior talent a large percentage of the time he was on the floor. In total, he put up 15 points and nine rebounds per contest while shooting over 60 percent from the field.
Bradley also flashed surprising ability to protect the rim at times. He may never be able to stretch the floor like the ideal modern big, but if he can continue to develop that defensive presence and finish plays at the hoop offensively, he’ll be worthy of a spot in the league and a bigger role with the Jazz.
Becoming something beyond the fourth big on the main roster will be a tough task, however. Again, Favors essentially plays as Gobert’s back-up and Udoh remains an elite defender in his own right. Still, Bradley should be given every opportunity to do so.
His potential as a scoring big and a rebounder, as well as his developing ability to protect the paint, warrant at least that much. Bradley was a project player when he was drafted and that project could still pay big-time in the long-term.
Right now, he’s the 15th guy; a year or two from now, he could be an integral part of a title contender.