Boston Celtics' Avery Bradley could return to practice in a week

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley is getting closer to returning to the court as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgeries. Bradley said he is "a week or two weeks from returning to practice" on Wednesday.

Bradley underwent surgery on both his left and right shoulder in the offseason. His shoulder injuries caused him to miss the Celtics entire Eastern Conference Finals series against the Miami Heat last season. Bradley appeared in 64 games for the Celtics last year, starting 28 of them. He averaged 7.6 points in 21.4 minutes per game, but is best known for his defense.

Bradley also said on Wednesday that he hopes to be playing in games by the start of 2013. The Celtics are currently 9-8 and believe Bradley can help improve a defense that ranks 17th in the NBA with 97.9 points allowed per game. The Celtics host the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 5.