NBA Exec: Malcolm Brogdon Trade 'Pisses Me Off,' Makes Celtics 'A Lot Better'
July 22, 2022
At least one Eastern Conference executive is very annoyed that the Boston Celtics landed Malcolm Brogdon in a trade this offseason.
"He will [help them]. He'll be good for them," the executive told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. "Going to Boston, with strong people around him, unfortunately, yes, he'll be good for them. I think he's going to make them a lot better—which pisses me off."
Another Eastern Conference source told Bulpett their team wasn't looking at Boston as a contender before last season, especially when the Celtics started slow, but that perspective has changed: "After how Boston got it together and got to the Finals, we're all looking at them now—and they got better. A lot better. They got a shooter [Danilo Gallinari] and they got a guard who can be solid on both ends and can go for a big number offensively in the right situation."
Brogdon helps solve one of Boston's biggest weaknesses last season as a playmaker from the guard position. While Marcus Smart provides fantastic defense, he's more of a 2-guard than a true point guard, and Jaylen Brown's loose handle became an issue in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
Jayson Tatum has grown as a facilitator, but he's primarily a wing scorer. The lack of playmaking and the need for a true point guard to handle the ball in key moments were arguably the biggest areas for the Celtics to address this offseason.
Brogdon has averaged 15.5 points and 4.8 assists per game in his career. In 36 games for the Indiana Pacers last season, he posted 19.1 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 44.8 percent from the field but just 31.2 percent from three, a career low.
The bigger issue throughout his career has been his health. Since playing 75 games in his rookie season, the 29-year-old hasn't played 65 or more games in a campaign.
If Brogdon can stay healthy, especially come the postseason, the Celtics will be scary. If he can't, however, the team may fall short yet again in the quest for a title.