Rick Carlisle Has High Praise for Celtics' Sixth Man and Former Pacer Malcolm Brogdon

The Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon hoping he's the piece that puts them over the top in their pursuit of banner 18.

When the Celtics swung a summertime trade for Malcolm Brogdon, they quickly became the betting favorite to win the NBA championship at most outlets.

Due to injuries, Brogdon played in only 36 games for Rick Carlisle in the latter's first season as Pacers head coach, but as University of Virginia alums, the two were familiar with each other.

Ahead of Brogdon's first game against Indiana after spending three seasons there, Carlisle expressed the following about his fellow former Cavalier.

"To me, there’s a small group of players that can pretty much do anything on the basketball court," conveyed Carlisle, referencing Boston's sixth man's ability to play on and off the ball, drive, and facilitate for his teammates.

Brogdon's one of the Celtics' best players regarding producing paint touches, he's knocking down 46.2 percent of his 4.1 threes, and he's averaging 3.7 assists per game in 23.8 minutes per contest.

And while he thought he was joining the Wizards in the days leading up to the draft, Carlisle referred to where he wound up as the "perfect situation for the Celtics and for him."

The deal that brought Brogdon to Boston also sent Aaron Nesmith to Indiana.

Discussing his experience coaching the Celtics' former lottery pick, Carlisle relayed, "we just love Aaron’s competitiveness, his joy to compete, his overall positivity all the time, and that’s not to mention his skill."

Carlisle also praised Nesmith’s defensive ability, tenacity, and intellect, referring to him as a "sponge."

While it was difficult for Nesmith to earn consistent minutes and touches on a Celtics team contending for the Larry O'Brien Trophy, with Indiana embracing a youth movement, which led to trading Brogdon, the third-year wing has started 15 of 27 games. That figure would likely be higher if not for an injury sustained earlier in the campaign.

Nesmith's averaging 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds while taking 4.1 threes per game and converting them at a 38.7 percent clip.

In a testament to Nesmith's character and approach, Carlisle referred to him as "a joy to coach every day" and that "he’s the kind of guy that all our guys root for from top to bottom."

Further Reading

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Rick Carlisle Has High Praise for Celtics' Sixth Man and Former Pacer Malcolm Brogdon

Celtics Discuss the Roots of Their Offensive Struggles and the Keys to Getting Back on Track

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Magic: Boston Stumbles Down the Stretch, Falling for the Fourth Time in Five Games

Breaking Down the Top 5 Plays from Sunday's Celtics-Magic Game