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The Boston Celtics made the surprise trade of the offseason when they acquired combo guard Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers. They acquired a guard who had previously put up a 50-40-90 season and managed to acquire him while giving very few assets. None of the players who were traded were consistently involved in the playoff rotation, and the first-round pick they gave the Pacers is expected to be in the late 20s.
However, Brogdon was acquired for that little because of his injury issues. In the past three seasons, Brogdon has played 54, 56, and 36 games due to recurring injuries he’s suffered. To prevent his injuries from coming up again, the Celtics plan to restrict his minutes for the coming season, according to Jared Weiss.
“There are several players projected to get significant rest throughout the regular season, particularly with Al Horford and Malcolm Brogdon expected to load manage on plenty of back-to-backs,” Weiss said.
Much like Horford, the Celtics evidently do not want to lose any of their valuable rotation players who could be at risk for injury. Because he’s shown himself to be injury-prone, the Celtics do not want to take any chances with Brogdon.
Exec Said Celtics Would Have to Handle Brogdon ‘With Kid Gloves’
After the Celtics acquired Brogdon from Indiana, an Eastern Conference executive said that they will have to handle him with care so that he’ll be available when they need him most.
“The problem they have with Brogdon is they are going to want to handle him with kid gloves throughout the year so he is ready for the playoffs, and he can be a good force for them there,” the executive said.
The executive also pointed out that Brogdon’s injury issues were why the Celtics got him in the first place.
“The Celtics knew they were getting damaged goods with Brogdon. They would not get him if he had two healthy knees. But it is going to be up to the coach to manage that.”
The executive also added that Udoka will have to mix and match as best he can so that the team is playing at its very best late in the season like they did this past season.
“One thing we saw last year was that Ime only has so much patience with his rotations. He coached to win all through the season last year, and he is going to need to step back and think about developing the team so that it is at its peak in May. That means using Brogdon a certain way, using Derrick White and (Payton) Pritchard a certain way. You can’t play them full-out in December.”
Weiss also pointed out in his article that Brogdon’s minutes’ restriction could give Pritchard a valuable opportunity.
Weiss Critiqued Pritchard’s Playoff Performance
Weiss made note that both Horford’s and Brogdon’s minutes’ restrictions would open the door for Pritchard, but his porous playoff performance showed his lack of playoff readiness as a floor general.
“That also leaves the door open for Pritchard, who was a depth-chart casualty on the Brogdon deal. Pritchard was a knockdown shooter after Dennis Schröder’s midseason departure earlier this year opened the door for minutes, but the playoffs showed why he isn’t ready to run point yet.”
Pritchard had his moments during the Celtics’ playoff run in 2022. His best performance came at a very important time for the team, as his 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists helped the Celtics overcome the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
However, Pritchard faltered when the Celtics faced the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Although he played every game, Pritchard averaged 2.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and one assist while shooting 30 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from three.
As Weiss said, Pritchard proved himself as a rotation player after the team traded Schroder at the deadline. With the Celtics planning to rest Horford and Brogdon, he should get another chance.
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