Getty Malcolm Brogdon of the Boston Celtics dribbles up the court against the Chicago Bulls.
Though Malcolm Brogdon had to make the adjustment from being a franchise point guard to a trusty sixth man upon his arrival to the Boston Celtics last offseason, overall, his addition to the rotation has been seamless.
Following the club’s Jayson Tatum-less win over the Toronto Raptors Wednesday, the veteran shared his thoughts on his first year in Beantown, noting that while he had no real clue as to how things would ultimately play out during his inaugural season, he did expect that he’d be a quality fit for this win-now team.
“You know, I didn’t know what it would be like,” Brogdon said. “I knew I’d be coming off the bench. The Celtics, Brad [Stevens] they were very upfront about that…and I was all for it, I am all for it and I knew it would be a very fluid situation. For me, it’s about understanding that, embracing it, and continuing to embrace it for 82 games and in the playoffs. I feel that’s what I’ve done. That’s what I’ve tried to do to the best of my ability. As far as the rest of the team, as far as us being successful, this is exactly what I thought. I thought I’d be coming to a championship team, that’s what we have here. So we got to keep pushing. We’re trending in the right direction and [we’re] exactly where we want to be.”
Malcolm Brogdon on how his expectations of being a part of the Celtics has matched up with his experience this season 🗣️
Brogdon has proven to be truly invaluable for this Celtics team in 2022-23, and has thrust himself into a two-man race between him and New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Through 67 games played, the 30-year-old is posting impressive per-game averages of 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.4% from distance.
Nick Nurse Deems Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon an ‘All-Star’
Following Boston’s win over the Raptors Wednesday, Toronto’s head coach Nick Nurse went on to praise Malcolm Brogdon for his efforts on the night, going as far as to note that his level of play has warranted All-Star consideration.
“Well, he’s an All-Star, right?” Nurse said. “He’s an All-Star and a really good player; everybody knows that. He certainly gave us a tough time in the first half. He hit a huge three too; I thought, there in the fourth…He came off of high ball screen and then nailed a three, so yeah.”
Brogdon was an absolute pest against the play-in-bound Raptors, as he registered 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists on 52.6% shooting from the field and 66.7% shooting from deep.
Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Continues Malcolm Brogdon Praise Fest
Joe Mazzulla joining Nick Nurse with post-game praise for Malcolm Brogdon, as the first-year Celtics head coach gave the point guard a major endorsement for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
“It would mean a lot,” Mazzulla said. “The humility that he brings to our team, he takes pride in the second unit. And, in order to be a great team, you have to have people like that. And we have that from top to bottom. And different guys do different things. And, you know, Malcolm has come in here with patience, humility, and understanding and credit to the locker room for, you know, embracing and empowering him. And I hope he gets it. He deserves it.”
As things currently stand, a majority of sports betting outlets have Brogdon projected to finish second in the awards race behind favorite Immanuel Quickley.
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Malcolm Brogdon Sounds Off on Celtics Expectations After Win Over Raptors