Getty Malcolm Brogdon, Boston Celtics
When the Boston Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon, they knew they were getting a starting-caliber guard to assume the role of their sixth man.
As the season has worn on, Brogdon’s impact off the bench has grown, and now, he finds himself being named as a finalist in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. When speaking to the media on April 17, during a post-practice press conference, Brogdon discussed his candidacy for the award and why he believes his teammates have had an impact on his candidacy.
“It’s awesome to be mentioned with those other guys; those are two great players,” Brogdon said. “As I’ve said before, these are team awards. It takes a team to get an All-NBA, to get an All-Star, to get a sixth man, defensive player. So that’d be great for our organization.”
Brogdon has had a solid year for the Celtics, finishing the regular season with averages of 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range.
Joe Mazzulla Praises Al Horford
Another player who has impressed the Celtics this season is veteran big man Al Horford, who is revamping his game to be more perimeter-based, and providing a veteran voice within the locker room.
On April 17, head coach Joe Mazzulla discussed Horford’s leadership and the importance it holds within the franchise.
“Yeah, I mean, he’s, he’s a lot of things for us,” Mazzulla said. “One of them is our emotional leader to where he has an innate maturity and ability to bring our game back with a big shot or a blocked shot. And so you know, he did that, where he hit the three on the wing. And then he had to block shots. And transition with about two minutes to go. And so we’re just really fortunate to have him his ability, not only what he can do from a basketball standpoint, but what he brings from an emotional leadership standpoint, not only does it help us over the course of the season, but in moments of games too.”
Jayson Tatum’s Strong Claim About Marcus Smart
When addressing the media following the Boston Celtics April 15 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, All-Star wing Jayson Tatum was asked about the performance of Marcus Smart, who had played arguably his best game of the season.
“I guess sometimes you take it for granted,” Tatum said. “But, you know, one of the best if not the best defender that we have in this league, and you know, just extremely special, especially on that side of the ball. And you know, shows it night in and night out.”
Smart will be a key member of the Celtics rotation throughout this years playoff run, and Celtics fans will be hoping he can sustain the level of play they saw from him in game one of their series against Atlanta. Game two is set to take place on Tuesday, April 18.