Though offseason rumblings may suggest the Boston Celtics are willing to part ways with spark plug sixth man Malcolm Brogdon after just one season in Beantown, one analyst suggests, in reality, a move such as this should not be coveted.
During a July 21 appearance on Arbella Early Edition, Cerrone Battle urged that Brad Stevens and company should strongly consider holding onto the veteran guard heading into 2023-24, largely due to the departure of Marcus Smart this summer.
“You don’t have the three guards situation there no more. And, on top of that, he was a good player,” Battle said. “Majority of the season the guy was a 50, 40, 90 shooter. He’s a good player. He has the injury in the playoffs and, of course, that’s the most recent thing we remember so we’re going to judge him on that. But for the majority of the season Brogdon was a good player for them… and he is going to be a valuable player for them. You don’t have a Marcus Smart anymore. So it’s Brogdon and Derrick White and that’s what you’re going to have to roll with.”
Why wouldn’t the Celtics be willing to part with Malcolm Brogdon right now?
@Cerrone_Battle & @ChrisForsberg_ weigh in on Arbella Early Edition
Battle would continue on to note that the Celtics “need him to be an important piece on this team,” especially considering he very well could wind up being their top guard option now with Smart in Memphis.
During his first year in Boston, Brogdon wound up putting forth a phenomenal run while filling a rather foreign role as the first man off the pine. Through 67 games played, the point guard posted impressive averages of 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from distance.
With his efforts, he would go on to take home the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Truth Bomb Dropped on Robert Williams Workout Videos
Along with the entertainment that has come with trade buzz this offseason, recently surfaced Robert Williams workout videos have gotten Celtics fans completely stoked, as the footage shows the offensively limited big man taking and making mid-range and, in some shots, long-range jumpers.
Rob Williams is healthy and working to make strides on both ends of the floor this off-season! @celtics
And while trainer Aaron Miller has suggested the 25-year-old could, in theory, be found hoisting up such shots during actual in-game action in the near future, fans may want to temper their expectations a bit, as he stated in a recent interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg that these routines are about more than just splashing home jumpers.
“What I want people to understand is, like, even if he doesn’t shoot a three, maybe he gets it and reverses it. Maybe he gets it and throws it right back. But we’re getting two birds with one stone here where he’s gaining his confidence, he’s getting his conditioning up, he’s becoming a better screener, he’s moving around. It’s just putting it all together,” Miller said.
Throughout Robert Williams’ five seasons with the Celtics, he has put up a combined total of 69 shot attempts from outside the painted area, cashing in on just 26 of them (a 37.6% clip).
Jaylen Brown, Celtics Set to Resume Contract Talks
This summer, perhaps the hottest talking point regarding the Boston Celtics is their ongoing contract extension negotiations with cornerstone wing, Jaylen Brown. Following his second All-Star selection and first All-NBA nod in 2022-23, the 26-year-old is now eligible to sign a five-year, $295 million supermax contract.
Though talks have been stalled for a bit while Brown was in Europe for an NBPA retreat, per a recent report by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, negotiations are slated to kick back up next week.
With Jaylen Brown now back in Boston from his NBPA retreat in Spain, contract talks will resume next week, according to a league source. #Celtics.
Jaylen Brown capped off his stellar 2022-23 campaign with tremendous per-game averages of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, all marks registering in as career highs.
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Celtics Receive Reality Check on Malcolm Brogdon Amid Trade Buzz