Tony Bradley can play defense!
Every time Tony Bradley checks in the game for Rudy Gobert, I anticipate there being some slippage on the defensive end. After all, Gobert is the best in the business at protecting the rim, and Bradley is a better offensive player than defensive.
But last night something was different about Bradley’s interior defense. He didn’t get baited into jumping too soon, and was able to force several misses without fouling too much.
Tony Bradley forced a total of six misses at the rim in the first half, including an alley-oop attempt in the first quarter that usually gets the better of rim protectors.
The Utah Jazz were even with Tony Bradley on the floor tonight. That is such a huge deal when the Jazz starters are one of the best groups in the NBA
— David Locke (@DLocke09) January 15, 2020
To make it even more impressive, the 248 pound Bradley was going up against the 265 pound DeAndre Jordan, who was one of the better centers in the game not too long ago. There were a few plays where Jordan took advantage of Bradley over helping, but when they went head-to-head at the rim Bradley held his own.
If Bradley can consistently provide average or even above average defense in the low-post, the Jazz will have found themselves a keeper for the backup center position.
Thanks to Tony Bradley’s services, Gobert was able to get some adequate rest during the game to prepare him for a monster fourth quarter. Speaking of which…