The Boston Celtics made a sizable splash when they acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers during the offseason. Especially with the very little they gave up on their end to get him. During Celtics’ Media Day, Brogdon went into detail on what went on leading up to when the trade happened.
“(The Pacers) gave me the option of picking between a few teams, and I picked Boston because I want to win. It doesn’t matter if I’m the sixth man. Whatever role I’m playing, I’m going to accept it. I’m going to thrive in it. I’m going to embrace it because I want to add on to what this team has. This team has a great unit, great chemistry. They’re on the verge of winning a championship, as we saw, and they need a little bit more. So I want to come and add to what’s already going on here.”
The Celtics added Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari while losing virtually no one who was consistently in their playoff rotation after losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Brogdon Sounds Off on Fit With Marcus Smart
When the Malcolm Brogdon trade was announced, the first question that came to mind was, “How would he fit next to Marcus Smart?” Brogdon is very aware of who his backcourt partner is, having played against him in the same conference for the past six years.
While at Media Day, Brogdon talked about his fit next to Smart. In short, he believes the two of them are going to work well together because of their rapport and their complementary skills.
“Since I’ve gotten here, (Marcus) has been great,” Brogdon said. “At the end of the day, me and Marcus are gonna be on the floor a lot together. Playing together, me and Marcus have different strengths. We’re gonna work really well together. We’re both going to be really competitive and are going to push each other and help each other. Our conversations have been great, talking about the identity of the team, but moreso, just trying to get to know each other before the basketball because a lot of the time, that’s more important.”
With Robert Williams III sidelined for eight-to-12 weeks due to arthroscopic surgery, there’s a possibility they may start in the backcourt together when the 2022-23 season begins.
Brogdon’s Thoughts on Joe Mazzulla
When Brogdon had been acquired by the Celtics, Ime Udoka was the team’s head coach at the time. With Udoka now facing a year-long suspension, the Celtics’ interim head coach for the 2022-23 season will be assistant Joe Mazzulla. With all of this having unfolded just before training camp was about to start, that can potentially throw a wrench into the Celtics’ plans.
However, Brogdon voiced his confidence in Mazzulla at Media Day, going into detail on how impressed he is with Mazzulla given how young he is as a coach.
While taking pictures in his new duds, Brogdon also had a message for Celtics fans during Media Day.
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Celtics Prized Addition Reveals Why He Chose Boston