76ers Coach Doc Rivers Praised Tony Bradley Before Matchup With Thunder
Saturday's matchup in OKC would provide a reunion of sorts for the Sixers. It would be the first time they would see Tony Bradley since trading him away at the trade deadline to acquire George Hill.
Bradley became a bit of a fan favorite in Philadelphia after getting a chance at a larger role when Joel Embiid went down to injury. He would play in 20 games for the Sixers, starting in eight of those games, and would average 5.5 PPG and 5.2 RPG.
He would end his tenure with the Sixers on a high note. Scoring a career-high 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a win over the Golden State Warriors in what would be his last game as a member of the team.
Before Saturday's matchup, Doc Rivers would be asked about his final thoughts on his former play. He would continue to praise the work Bradley put in during his time with the team, much like he did in his final run.
"Just a pro man, first of all, he is a terrific kid. He's the type of kid you want on your franchise, you want to keep on your franchise if you can. He worked his butt off," said Rivers pregame.
One thing Rivers would regularly bring up when discussing Bradley is the work he put in to get his body right. Before the season started, they had a conversation about getting him ready physically, and Bradley would go on to lose 25 pounds during his time with the Sixers.
Rivers would give the 23-year-old more credit for the work he put in on his body on Saturday.
"You know a lot of guys who are like that won't do the work, you'll tell them they need to do work, you'll give them a game plan that you believe as a coach and coaching staff that can make the kid individually better. You'll be surprised how many guys won't hear it, they won't listen. Tony wasn't one of those," he said.
He would finish things off by saying that Bradley is "one of those guys you would love to coach again for sure."
Bradley might not have been in Philly for long, but it appears he made a great impression with a Hall of Fame-caliber coach in Rivers. He would go on to record a double-double against his former team on Saturday night. Racking up 16 points and coming down with a team-high 14 rebounds.
Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.
