There's no I in team, but...

Avery Bradley's stifling defense has been the key aspect in the Celtics'
turnaround as of late.

Basketball is far from an individual sport. As we've seen from the Celtics this season, you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't know how to play together, you're going to be stick in neutral.

However, there are these players we like to call difference-makers, and a big difference-maker for the Celtics over the past week has been Avery Bradley.

Avery Bradley's impact on the Celtics has been astronomical. Since Bradley's return, the Celtics' defense has been night and day. In the five games Bradley has played, Boston is holding opponents to 84.8 points per game, 40.2% from the field, and forcing 17.4 turnovers per game.

The major impact that Bradley has made has been on the perimeter. They say defense is contagious, and Bradley has helped the other guards (Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry, and Courtney Lee) improve tremendously. His intensity has rubbed off on the guards, leading to better defense outside the paint. As a result, the Celtics are limiting their opponents to 35% from beyond the arc. Furthermore, the Celtics are fifth in the league on the season in steals per game with 8.7. Over their last five games, Boston is averaging 9.6 steals per game.

Oh, and the Celtics are on a four-game winning streak -- it's their longest winning streak since April 2012 -- with impressive victories over Indiana, Atlanta, and New York. He's resurrected the Celtics from a 14-16 record to an 18-17 record.

Celtics radio play-by-play announcer Sean Grande had an interesting stat last night after the game. Going back to the start of last season, when Bradley plays at least 10 minutes in a game, the Celtics are 38-16. When he doesn't, the Celtics are 19-28.

Coincidence? Definitely not.

I know one player should not dictate whether a team's success, but having a player constantly suffocating opposing ball-handlers on a nightly basis can go a long way.