Malcolm Brogdon Gets Candid on Celtics, ‘I’ve Never Played For a Team Like This’

The Boston Celtics have played only two games thus far in the 2022-23 season. Yet, all it’s taken is two games for Malcolm Brogdon to praise the experience he has had thus far since playing for the team.

After the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat to give themselves a 2-0 record to start the season, Brogdon praised the team for being a team that, from his point of view, is one he’s never played on before.

“I haven’t played on a team like this where one through five, everybody that’s on the floor takes pride in the defensive end. It’s a championship characteristic for sure,” Brogdon said.

Brogdon added that he’s had to adjust defensively while playing for the Celtics because of their personnel’s versatility and abilities to switch, which, to him, again, is a first.

“It’s an adjustment,” Brogdon said. “I haven’t played on a team that switches as much that has as many versatile defenders as this team does. It’s an adjustment for me, but I’m comfortable because I can run one through five. I’m comfortable guarding anybody, so it actually fits me well.”

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Brogdon Gets Candid on Bam Adebayo

After the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat, Brogdon talked about what it was like having to go through Bam Adebayo’s screens. Brogdon praised Adebayo’s abilities as a screener but made it clear

“He’s a great screener. Some of them are illegal and don’t get called, but that’s the reality of the game. Navigating through them, he’s a big guy that screens well, and they play well through him,” Brogdon said.

Adebayo was called for multiple moving screens when the Heat took on the Celtics on October 21. In fact, when he was called for his fourth offensive foul – which soon led to a technical foul – the Heat were up on the Celtics 71-69 with 5:35 to go in the third quarter.

When Adebayo went to the bench, the Celtics went on a 20-6 run to end the third quarter, putting them up 89-77 headed into the fourth.

Adebayo put up 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while having a plus/minus of plus-20, making it clear that his presence made a huge impact on the game the Heat wound up losing 111-104.

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Brogdon’s Performance Thus Far

Brogdon has played only two games for the Celtics. The first was against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 18, and the other was against the Heat on October 21.

Brogdon’s debut for the Celtics went very well, as he put up 16 points, four assists, and two steals while shooting seven-for-11 from the field. Brogdon also finished with a plus/minus of plus-nine, which tied for the second-highest on the team behind only Jayson Tatum.

He was not as efficient in his second game. Against the Heat, Brogdon put up seven points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting only two-for-nine from the field. However, Brogdon finished with a plus-seven from the field, which was actually among the lowest of players that came off the bench on Boston’s end – Grant Williams, Sam Hauser, and Noah Vonleh.

Whether his shot is on or not, Brogdon’s plus/minus in both games thus far indicates that the Celtics have played better when he’s on the floor.

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