Getty Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka.
By being traded to the Boston Celtics, Malcolm Brogdon is entering a whole new situation when the 2022-23 season starts. He has a new city, new teammates, a new role and a new head coach. In an August 31 story by Spencer Davies of Basketball News, Brogdon was asked about various topics related to his new team, including his feelings on head coach Ime Udoka.
He said he appreciated that Udoka is up front, which is hard to find in basketball coaches.
“I admire his authenticity, his realness. He’s a straight shooter, he’s very direct,” Brogdon said. “There’s not a lot of gray area with him. You can have coaches that don’t want to tell you the truth, that sorta beat around the bush. He’s far from that, so I really appreciate that about him. It’s hard to find. I’ve had maybe two conversations with him. I can tell he’s a player’s coach. He was in the league for a while. He knows how to talk to you, he knows how to relate to you, but he also knows how to coach.”
Udoka is Brogdon’s seventh NBA coach, following Rick Carlisle, Nate Bjorkgren, Nate McMillan, Mike Budenholzer, Joe Prunty and Jason Kidd.
Brogdon Reached Out to Danilo Gallinari After Meniscus Tear
On August 27, Danilo Gallinari suffered a non-contact knee injury during the 2022 EuroBasket Tournament. It later was confirmed by Shams Charania to be a meniscus tear.
Brogdon told Davies that he talked to Gallinari after the injury was confirmed, though they didn’t talk much.
“I reached out to him. I sent him a text that just said, ‘Hey man, praying for you. Get healthy, we need you this year.’ He said, ‘I appreciate it, brother.’ It was short.”
Brogdon went on to explain why conversations like that don’t last too long.
“When you get injured, it’s frustrating. You want people to check on you, but a lot of the time, you don’t want to talk a lot about it, so I just sent a text out to let him know I was thinking about him and I was praying for him.”
Brogdon knows this from personal experience. He’s played only 54, 56, and 36 games over the last three seasons due to various injuries.
Once the San Antonio Spurs finalize the expected release on forward Danilo Gallinari, his preference is to join the Boston Celtics upon clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN.
Brogdon was traded to the Celtics the same day ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Gallinari preferred to join the Celtics upon clearing waivers on July 1.
The Indiana Pacers are trading guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN.
Gallinari also reportedly chose less money to play for the Celtics over the Chicago Bulls, according to Jared Weiss.
Brogdon Talked About His Fit With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Davies asked Brogdon how he felt he could complement both Tatum and Brown this season. Brogdon answered by saying he believes his presence can ease some of the burdens off their shoulders.
“I think I can just relieve pressure. Whether that’s touching the paint, getting ’em easy shots,” he said. “Whether that’s guarding players that they need a break on the defensive end [against] so they can focus on offense.
“But [mostly], being a steady presence on the floor that can help control the end of games, that can help control the flow of the game to make sure that they’re getting the ball in their spots, [so] they’re never having to overdo it to get a look or run their bodies into the ground. I want to be that guy that can create for ’em.”
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Celtics Guard Sounds Off on Ime Udoka’s Approach: ‘It’s Hard to Find’