Sixers' Tony Bradley is Working on Improving His Shooting

Tony Bradley learned a lot about the defensive side of the ball in Utah. Now, he's working on his shooting with the Sixers.

Veteran center Tony Bradley might have three years of NBA experience under his belt, but he's far from a finished product. The 22-year-old big man developed his game with the Utah Jazz for the last few seasons but was traded to the Detroit Pistons last week.

As Detroit continued to add bigs throughout the offseason, somebody on board was bound to get shipped off elsewhere. So, in less than a week, Bradley found himself traded once again to the Philadelphia 76ers.

With the Pistons, Bradley might've had a chance to get on the court for consistent minutes. In Philly, though, Bradley knows he's taking on more of a developmental role as he sits behind Joel Embiid and Dwight Howard on the depth chart.

"I'm looking forward to continuing to learn," Bradley said on Wednesday as he met with the media virtually for the first time since he was traded. "I'm just a learning guy -- I love learning, and I'm just trying to grow and find different things and ways to improve."

On Wednesday, Bradley put an emphasis on defense. However, the former Jazz big man also revealed he's been working hard on his shooting as he intends to become a stretch-five, which will surely expand his game.

"I believe I can be a stretch," Bradley claimed. "I shot three threes this past season, and I made all three of them. So, I believe I am a stretch-five. I think that I can easily get the rebound, push it, and take a couple of dribbles. I believe I can push the ball. So, that's the things I've been working on -- especially stretching the floor, pick and pop -- things like that."

The more versatile a player is, the better the chances they will see the court. If Bradley can show he's consistently knocking down deep shots in practice, the 76ers are bound to increase his chances of seeing the floor more often. 

It won't be an easy task to take any minutes away from two established stars in the NBA -- but Bradley will likely have a handful of opportunities to prove his worth this season as injuries, and load management could play a part in getting the young center on the floor. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_