Celtics' Bradley became a better playmaker by studying tape of Kobe

When you think of the NBA's top playmakers, stars like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall typically come to mind.

Avery Bradley examined film of the latter two in his offseason quest to become a better playmaker, but he also studied footage of Kobe Bryant.

"The reason why I watched him is because he doesn't waste time to get to his move," the Boston Celtics shooting guard told Jay King of MassLive.com. "He just kind of whipped through and got to his spot. He's not really a ball-handling guy. Not to say he can't, but he just doesn't waste any time getting to his spots."

His lessons from the Black Mamba seem to be paying off so far, as the 25-year-old is creating shots for himself and his teammates more now than in his previous six seasons. He's getting more comfortable running the offense, already assisting on a career-best 15.3 percent of his teammate's field goals.

One of the league's best perimeter defenders, Bradley's also upped his efforts on the glass and is leading the team in rebounding this season.

In all, he's averaging 18.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists - all career highs - for the 6-5 Celtics.

With his game continuing to expand, his backcourt mate, Isaiah Thomas, said they're one of the best guard duos in the league.