Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
[Film Room] The Common Themes of Malcolm Brogdon's Playmaking
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In Malcolm Brogdon's first two games as a Celtic, he's distributed a game-high nine assists. He's in control but plays up-tempo, a pace that makes life easier for Boston in the half court and allows the Celtics to produce more points in transition. Last season, they ranked 21st in fast-break points per game, averaging 11.1, per NBA.com.
Brogdon looks comfortable no matter who he's sharing the floor with, and he's done an outstanding job of consistently attacking the gaps in the defense to create high-quality scoring opportunities for his teammates.
In Wednesday's game against the Raptors, on Brogdon's first assist, he does nearly all the work to get Noah Vonleh a dunk, driving past OG Anunoby and going right at Precious Achiuwa. With Achiuwa's hands down, there's a window for Brogdon to set Vonleh up for an easy two points at the rim.
In the second frame, Brogdon pushes the pace after a Raptors misfire, and with Thaddeus Young's hips open, giving him a path to get into the middle of the paint, Brogdon hits him with an in-and-out dribble that brings Chris Boucher over to stop him from getting into the paint. Hauser wisely drifts further away from Boucher, rather than remaining stationary, and he's not hugged up on the three-point line, catching the ball 27 feet out, giving him an open three that he drills.
About a minute later, a familiar development unfolds with Pascal Siakam not set when the ball swings Brogdon's way. The latter immediately attacks off the catch, leaving Siakam a step behind. That forces Anunoby to rotate to the rim. And with Achiuwa dropping down to get to Derrick White in the corner, Brogdon jumps at Anunoby, uses his back as a shield, and hits Hauser for another open three created by Boston's sixth man.
Brogdon assisted on four of Hauser's five threes, including one to beat the first-quarter buzzer and the one in the clip below a few seconds before the third period ends.
Like when Young shaded Brogdon to go middle on the first example of him setting up Hauser for an open three, D.J. Wilson takes the same approach. Just as he did to Young, Brogdon utilizes an in-and-out dribble that gets Wilson leaning too far forward on his toes, and then he gets flat-footed. To begin with, Brogdon's the faster of the two, and it only takes that slight advantage for him to get by Wilson and into the paint.
Once he's there, the defense collapses, and with Siakam pinching in, it leaves Hauser open for another triple.
Another example of Brogdon quickly attacking off the catch came in the final frame when his jab step had Christian Koloko heading in the wrong direction. When Brogdon drives middle, Josh Jackson comes off Payton Pritchard to prevent Brogdon from getting to the basket. The result is another three for a teammate and an assist for Brogdon, produced by his fast and aggressive decision-making.
Brogdon checks many boxes for this team, operating effectively on and off the ball, playing decisively, up-tempo, and consistently getting into the paint. There's also a savviness to his game that aids him as a scorer and a facilitator.
As outlined while examining Brogdon's two-way impact upon the Celtics acquiring him, he addresses multiple needs for a team that went to the NBA Finals but could not rely on the status quo getting them back there, let alone producing banner 18.
Further Reading
The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Raptors Overtime Tilt
Here's What Stood Out from Raptors' Overtime Win Over Celtics: Boston's Regulars Sharp at Both Ends
Top 5 Plays from Celtics Win vs. Hornets in Preseason Opener
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' 134-93 Drubbing of Hornets in Preseason Opener
Marcus Smart Discusses Blake Griffin Signing, His Role as a Team Leader, and His Offseason Focus
Celtics Showing Interest in Multiple Former Head Coaches (Report)
