Next up on our list of player grades is center Tony Bradley. Bradley signed a one-year deal with a player option for a second year with the Chicago Bulls in August of 2021. Many thought he would be the primary back up to Nikola Vucevic when the season first started. He quickly lost regular playing time with poor play and fit out on the court.
In the 2020-21 NBA season, Bradley saw moderate success in his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He averaged 8.7 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 18 minutes per game. At the time, the young center was showing some value while being on the court. The Bulls needed size and Bradley came in on a cheap deal. He regressed greatly in his lone year with the Bulls compared to what he was averaging in Oklahoma City.
Bradley appeared in 55 games for the Bulls in 2021-22, seven of which were starts. He averaged 3.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and shot 58% from the field in 10 minutes per game. Even though he appeared in 55 games, there isn’t much to discuss with him on the offensive end. Sure, sometimes he would be in the right place at the right time, but his inconsistencies really hampered his playing time.
On the defensive end, Bradley is a big body who could challenge at the rim. Though, when he was on the court, a lot of times opposing teams would use mismatches or put the Bulls in a situation where a defensive switch took place. This hurt the Bulls with Bradley on the court. He is more of a traditional center. He does not move well laterally and cannot close in on shooters when put in those type of situations.
Bradley will likely pick up his player option and return to the Bulls unless he is moved or waived. His first year with the Bulls was very underwhelming and that’s why we have chosen to give him an F on his player grade. Bradley wasn’t able to maintain his play to become a consistent rotation player though the Bulls were dying for size.
Grade: F
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