Getty Malcolm Brogdon (left) Pacers
In his past NBA stops in Milwaukee and Indiana, Malcolm Brogdon has mostly been a starter. He started 28 games as a rookie with the Bucks, then re-took a starting job during an injury-plagued second season with Milwaukee. The Bucks made him a starter for good in 2018, and he’s started every game of his career since.
That will change this year as Brogdon figures to land on the bench following his trade to the Celtics at the opening of free agency in July. The key, though, will be how Brogdon handles what a lot of veteran players would consider a demotion. Brogdon has said he’d be OK with coming off the bench and team insider Steve Bulpett, who has covered the Celtics since 1986, says Boston is hopeful that holds true.
“The important thing from him is getting the proper buy-in to what his role is,” Bulpett said in a Heavy Sports video.
“His game is really conducive to that. He can provide strength in different areas. … Depending on matchups, he can be more of a facilitator, he can be more of a scorer, you always want him to bring the defense. I think he’s really well-suited to that role. The key thing with him is how happy he is with his situation. It has been an issue in the past in different stops. Everything we’ve heard from him and from people around him is that he’s all-in on this. He realizes he is not an alpha in this situation but he can be an alpha in his role.”
Brogdon Has Been a Starter Throughout
The question of whether Brogdon should start is a good one, because he has the ability to do so, as a quality perimeter shooter (37.8% from the 3-point line in his career) and playmaker (6.3 assists in his last three seasons, all with Indiana). His tough-nosed defense, too, fits well with the Celtics’ style.
Though, statistically, Brogdon has averaged 20.4 points for the Pacers over the past two years and is, thus, is a more productive offensive point guard than incumbent Marcus Smart, there is no doubt that the Celtics’ starting five is a wrecking crew. Their plus-24.6 net rating last year was the best in the league and the chemistry Smart has with teammates Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Rob Williams is part of the reason.
So, change that group of starters?
“I wouldn’t see why,” Bulpett said. “I’m not sure who you’d replace or how you’d reconfigure that group because that group works. If they played the right way, play the way their coach wants them to play—tempo and all those things—I think that’s fine. I don’t see a problem with that five at all. I don’t see anybody coming off the bench who should be starting in place of any of those guys.”
Brogdon Provides ‘Varied Menu’ for Celtics
It’s possible that, sometimes ,the Celtics could employ a smallball lineup that includes Brogdon at the shooting guard spot or Danilo Gallinari at power forward. But for the most part, expect the same Celtics starters.
That could be a good thing for the injury-prone Brogdon, who can carry a lesser load than he’s done elsewhere.
“With Brogdon, he gives you a good, varied menu, which is good coming off the bench,” Bulpett said. “More importantly, this guy has had trouble staying on the floor. So you want to be able to manage his minutes, manage his time and being able to spot him as you like off the bench, I think it is much better. Him getting into that role and realizing he doesn’t need to carry things, he does not need to be a major force like maybe he needed to be in other places or thought he needed to be in other places.”