Bad News Department: Avery Bradley Will Miss Part Of Season, Stiemsma Likely Gone

Posted by Ryan DeGama on Jul 8, 2012 3120951 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2012%2F07%2F08%2Fbad-news-department-avery-bradley-will-miss-part-of-season-stiemsma-likely-gone%2FBad+News+Department%3A+Avery+Bradley+Will+Miss+Part+Of+Season%2C+Stiemsma+Likely+Gone2012-07-08+18%3A47%3A52Ryan+DeGamahttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D31209

Those Courtney Lee rumors make even more sense now that we know Avery Bradley is headed for another surgery:

Celtics guard Avery Bradley will undergo surgery on his right shoulder on Tuesday at New England Baptist Hospital, according to assistant general manager Austin Ainge, and will miss the team’s training camp as a result.

The surgery, designed to tighten up the ligaments in the shoulder, will be performed by Celtics team physician Brian McKeon.

Ainge acknowledged that the additional surgery — Bradley also had left shoulder surgery in May — will not only force the blossoming shooting guard to miss the team’s camp, but will likely keep him sidelined for the first part of the season.

CH Says: The surgery is apparently not unexpected, merely the second half of a planned set on both shoulders. However, it’s discouraging that Bradley will be playing catch-up next season, after his impressive finish to the 2011-12 season. Lee may be less luxury than necessity if the Celtics expect Bradley to struggle with post-surgery limitations next year.

The best case appears to be that Bradley joins the Celtics before Christmas and immediately slots back into the starting SG role he took from Ray Allen last season. That would be fine for the Celtics, who could slot Jason Terry into the starting SG role in his absence, or Lee if they’re able to acquire him from Houston in a sign-and-trade.

Hit the jump for the latest on Greg Stiemsma.

Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter Jerry Zgoda tweeted this yesterday:

Reportedly, the T-Wolves have already or will soon offer Stiemsma a contract for $3 million per year. There’s some back and forth as to whether a formal offer has been made but that may just be semantics, with paperwork to come after Portland matches Minnesota’s offer sheet to RFA Nicolas Batum next week. The Celtics can only offer the Bi-Annual Exception of $1.9 million, which means Stiemsma will likely head west.

It’s hard to feel too slighted if he leaves. As recently as a year ago, Stiemsma had no reason to think he’d be in the NBA, much less fielding multiple contract offers. Depending on how his next few years go, it might be the only big payday Stiemsma gets as an NBA player. So, he needs to capitalize now.

Even with Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett returning, the Celtics remain thin on the frontline so Stiemsma’s bulk will be missed. However, in the smaller, faster NBA of 2012, his slow-footedness and limitations as a team defender (particularly in the pick and roll) suggest the Celtics should be looking for a more athletic, agile big to replace him.