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Malcolm Brogdon Embracing Sixth-Man Role with Celtics
In an appearance on ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski's Woj Pod on Monday, Malcolm Brogdon provided further insight into the trade that brings him to Boston.
Embracing a youth movement, the Pacers traded the veteran point guard on an expiring $22.6 million contract to the Celtics in exchange for a 2023 first-round draft pick, former lottery pick Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, and Nik Stauskas.
Shortly after news of the deal broke, Boston became betting favorites to win the 2023 NBA title.
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Acquiring Brogdon addressed multiple needs for the Celtics, but for it to work, it also meant him embracing coming off the bench for the first time since the early stages of his career. So, as Boston and Indiana worked towards a deal, Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, made it a point to gauge Brogdon's willingness to make that sacrifice.
"He talked about me coming into Boston and embracing a sixth man role," shared Brogdon. "If I wanted to come to Boston, that would be one of the things I needed to embrace. For me, I’ve made a lot of money. Whatever I can sacrifice to get back to that championship level, I’m willing to do it."
That buy-in let Stevens and the Celtics know they could finalize the trade for a player they deem an ideal fit in their championship quest.
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In Brogdon, Boston adds a reliable ball-handler, including under pressure, who's never averaged more than 2.4 turnovers. For his career, the six-year veteran's coughing the ball up just 1.8 times per game.
While he's more scorer than facilitator, he's effective at both, producing 19.1 points and 5.9 assists per game last season. He also can play on and off the ball. And while he struggled from beyond the arc in 2021-22 (31.2 percent), he's a career 37.6 percent three-point shooter on 4.2 attempts. In 2020-21, he launched 6.7 threes per contest and converted them at a 38.8 percent clip.
He's someone the Celtics can trust to knock down catch-and-shoot threes, as evidenced by him drilling at least 35 percent of his attempts of this nature every season of his career besides last year, including averaging three catch-and-shoot long-range field goals and making 44.4 percent of them in 2020-21, per NBA.com.
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He can also attack a closeout and produce a positive outcome, works at a slower pace but tends to get to the rim, where he's a reliable finisher, and he'll score off cuts. Ime Udoka can also utilize him as a short roller, providing an outlet for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown if Brogdon's defender chooses to blitz the screen.
At the other end of the floor, the six-foot-five Brogdon is a versatile perimeter defender, who can clog passing lanes when he's not guarding the ball. Knowing what he can add to the league's top-ranked defense further excites the now former Pacer about joining the Celtics.
"Defensively, I think we’re gonna build the best defensive team in the NBA,” expressed Brogdon. "I think the gap only widens now that I’m on the team."
The Celtics will introduce Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari, who officially signed with Boston on Sunday, at a press conference later this week.
Further Reading
Malcolm Brogdon Thought He Was Headed to Wizards Before Celtics Traded for Him
Danilo Gallinari Clears Waivers, Officially Signs with Celtics
[Film Room] JD Davison's Mostly Positive Summer League Debut
How Will Celtics Round Out Their Roster?
With Thomas Bryant Off the Board, Here's Who the Celtics Might Add at Center
Celtics Announce Summer League Roster
Celtics Retain Sam Hauser, Addressing Their Need for Another Layer of Forward Depth
