LA Clippers vs. Mavericks: Avery Bradley can guard anybody, guards nobody

Avery Bradley had a non-negative plus/minus only once in Thursday night’s home game versus the Dallas Mavericks. It was before the game started. The LA Clippers, and Doc Rivers, continue to give him an inexplicable average of 29.6 minutes per game.

We’ve learned to not trust it. “Maybe” Doc Rivers would change the starting lineup. The LA Clippers faithful sustain off maybes. Maybe we’ll get Kawhi and/or KD in the offseason. Maybe we’ll live to see an NBA Finals run. Maybe Avery Bradley will rightfully ride the pine.

“Avery can guard anybody,” Doc says before the game, and hope turns to despair. It’s going to happen again. The announcement that Lou Williams would be available to play was dampened before we really got a chance to enjoy it.

We close our eyes, breathe in deep, and turn on TNT.

Q1 9:58 MISS Bradley 25′ 3PT Jump Shot

It starts as expected. A turnover, Dallas points off an early foul. Then a moment of hope — that maybe — as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes a steal, passing it to Bradley for what would be the first of four shot attempts. Bradley missed.

It’s okay, we nod, leaning into the game as Marv Albert and Chris Webber sound like they’re secretly watching the Rockets/Heat replay while they’re calling the action at STAPLES Center. It’s fine.

Q1 8:58 Bradley 14′ Pullup Jump Shot (2 PTS)

By scoring two points, he officially scored two more points than last game. This is good. This is improvement. Better is better. We must find it in ourselves the capacity to believe. Dry spells happen. The abilities of this man we paid $12 million for are known. 

Q1 8:20 MISS Bradley 3PT Jump Shot

The following four minutes: Barnes a 26′ jump shot over Bradley, and a near-botched reception of a pass that inevitably resulted in a Luka Doncic steal anyway. That is the entirety of Bradley’s participation.

Then Lou Williams makes his grand return. I have already forgotten Avery Bradley’s uniform number.

Across the end of the first quarter and into the second, the Clippers go from a 20-16 deficit to a 38-45 lead with 7:42 remaining in the half. The feelings are good. The Clippers are a great home team. This is good and right.

Q2 7:22 SUB: Bradley FOR Williams

A 7-point lead is much too large for us. The Los Angeles Clippers cannot be trusted with such a surplus of scoring. It’s too much power, too much glory.

Q2 5:56 Bradley S.FOUL (P1.PN) (J.Sterling)

There it is. We deserve this.

Bradley blows it at the top of the arc, waving an arm as Luka Doncic makes a laser-guided assist for Wes Matthews.

But Ty Wallace has entered the game. He is a Good Player. There is no obvious reason for him to be getting fewer minutes than Bradley. He goes on a quick tear, a steal into a floater. A defensive rebound into a jump shot.

This is too much for Avery. The young Wallace knows not what Man’s True Game is. He knows not of the Basketball Dark Arts.

Q2 3:41 Bradley P.FOUL (P2.PN) (K.Lane)

Q2 2:22 Bradley P.FOUL (P3.PN) (S.Wright)

You will never understand Bradley’s true purpose. You cannot.

Q2 3:28 Gallinari 2′ Cutting Layup Shot (13 PTS) (Bradley 1 AST)

This is a trick. These moments are merely to provide the illusion of contribution. Bradley will still be on the floor, but will be apart of no other play for the rest of the quarter.

Q3 10:36 Gortat 6′ Hook Shot (4 PTS) (Bradley 2 AST)

A dish to a starving Marcin Gortat. No. 11 is generous. He is kind. We thank him for this humble gift. We shall not receive another one like it.

Q3 8:18 Bradley S.FOUL (P4.T3) (K.Lane)

Q3 8:13 SUB: Beverley FOR Bradley

We shall not see him for the rest of the third quarter. We will forget him. The memory will fade. We must forget the pain in order to feel it most strongly once more. Doc Rivers is the God of Pain and Avery Bradley is his mortal instrument.

We are given relief so that the numbness subsides.

Q3 1:12 SUB: Wallace FOR Harris

Tobias Harris goes down. We begin to despair. The relief was short-lived. Harris will return, but for the rest of the quarter and nearly half of the fourth we will not see him. We must wait.

Chris Webber says “the Lakers” need to call a timeout so that Tobias can get off the court. It will not be the last time he refers to a team playing tonight as the Lakers. The Lakers did not, and will not play tonight.

It is the fourth quarter. The game is, as expected, tight. Wallace misses a jumper. Mike Scott commits a shooting foul. Lou Williams gives up a turnover. Then Wallace travels.

It is 87-89. We want scoring. God Rivers does not give us want we want. He gives us what we need.

We need to suffer.

Q4 10:46 SUB: Bradley FOR Wallace

He will watch as JJ Barea speeds past him for a layup. He will watch as Boban Marjanović bestows his own gifts upon the Mavericks. He will grab a defensive rebound to reward the Boban for his good works.

It is 103-102. There are six minutes left in the game. Perhaps it is time to allow Lou Williams or Danilo Gallinari to complete this game. Perhaps we have received enough suffering to earn our W.

Q4 6:32 Bradley P.FOUL (P5.T4) (J.Sterling)

No. 11 will play the rest of the game, a black hole where offense once was. The W must be earned. This is our task. We have not met this standard in quite some time.

It is 118-123. There are nine seconds left in the game. The Mavericks have the ball. The win will be relatively comfortable if we do not give up a three-point shot.

We thank you for this gift, No. 11. We shall not forget your number again. Praise be. Praise be.