The Boston Celtics have gotten all that they bargained for in their marquee offseason addition, Malcolm Brogdon, through the first four games of the 2022-23 season. With the Cs being dropped a late offseason bombshell a week before the start of training camp in the form of Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension on September 21, the addition of a veteran presence like Brogdon has paid dividends.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Brogdon’s play this season has been the acceptance of s sixth-man role even with Robert Williams III out with an injury. The Cs were turned down by a big-man free agent this offseason for an unwillingness to do the same.
As Tim Bontemps noted in his ESPN piece about Eastern Conference contenders, Brogdon’s 3.3 assists per game through four games is twice as many per game as the man he’s replaced in Boston’s rotation, Payton Pritchard, averaged during last year’s playoff run. Brogdon has a 12/3/3 stat line, though his efficiency admittedly leaves a bit to be desired.
That didn’t stop an Eastern Conference scout from telling Bontemps that he’s been exactly what the Boston Celtics have needed in 2022-23. “He’s exactly what they needed,” one East scout told Bontemps after watching Boston play.
The Boston Celtics are looking for reinforcements on the wing and on the block
Evidently, the Boston Celtics are looking to shore up any issues that are plaguing the team early on in the 2022-23 campaign. Boston is speaking to teams about acquiring a big man or a wing as one executive told Heavy’s Sean Deveney:
"“It is clear that they’re asking about big guys but they’re asking about wings too, poking around. They’re taking the temperature on what might be out there, who might get released or bought out, who they might have to give up a pick, a first-rounder, a second-rounder, to get. It is early so no one is giving up on players now but when you get to late December and January, seems like they want to be in a good spot to make a call on what to do then.”"
The Cs could start talking to teams that will begin entering the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, though such teams will need to do it under the radar considering the league is trying to crack down on blatant tanking this season.