Boston Celtics: Malcolm Brogdon is a luxury for this Cs team
By Ryan Cinque
With just a little more than a quarter of this NBA season finished, it is clear as day that the Boston Celtics are the best team in basketball. Their offense is not only currently ranked as the best in the league, but also the best of all time. On top of having a historic offense they have also been rounding into form on the defensive end as they eagerly await the return of their defensive anchor, Robert Williams III.
With the league best record, and all of the game-to-game success that comes along with that fact, it is fair to dole out the lion’s share of the credit to Boston Celtics star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
With that being said, it is also important not to overlook one of the Celtics’ biggest assets, Malcolm Brogdon.
Brogdon has emerged as one of the Celtics most important players in just his first season with the team. He is luxury to have on this squad because of what he brings to the table, and for how little the Cs gave up to get him.
Boston engaged in a trade with the Indiana Pacers that sent over a few players who were either at the bottom of the rotation or not in it at all in exchange for Brogdon. Receiving a fringe all-star caliber player for a handful of low end rotation players is already enough to call Brogdon a steal as well, but he offers so much more beyond being a mere accessory piece.
Malcolm Brogdon embracing the sixth man role has elevated the Boston Celtics
What makes the 30-year-old point guard so perfect is how Malcolm Brogdon has fully embraced his role as the sixth man. This allows him to lead the Cs second unit and he has absolutely killed teams for stretches in many of their wins already. He is having arguably his most efficient season to date, which has put him in the very early conversation for sixth man of the year.
Brogdon’s per game averages have taken a hit compared to his last couple of seasons but they are remarkable with context. He is averaging 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in just 23.0 minutes per game. Pretty incredible numbers for a sixth man playing in less than half of each game but it gets even better than that. The former rookie of the year is shooting 50.5% from the field as well as an astonishing, career best, 49.4% from deep.
The seven-year veteran helps to take such a huge load off of the Jay’s shoulders when it comes to offensive shot creation which they were sorely lacking in last years NBA Finals. His ability to not only accept a more limited role to best fit the team, but to also run with it is invaluable. He doesn’t care if he’s in the starting lineup or scoring 25 points per game, he just wants to help the team win plain and simple. Brogdon is taking what it means to play selfless, winning basketball, to a new level this season. He has even spoken on how playing for this team has been a “treat”.
"This is a treat,” Brogdon said. “I think for any NBA player, whether you ask Marcus Smart, Tatum, Brown, anybody. It’s a treat playing on a team like this.”"
With the added dimensions that Brogdon brings to the Boston Celtics through his high level play, acceptance of a more limited role in order to best fit the team, and his pure enjoyment to be a part of something special makes him the most luxurious asset they could’ve acquired this offseason. A luxury is something described as providing great comfort and there isn’t a better description that fits Brogdon’s early tenure in Boston.