The Malcolm Brogdon effect has allowed the Celtics to reach another level

Following last season’s disappointing end to the 2021–22 NBA season, the Boston Celtics knew there were changes to be made. Boston fell short in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Despite the C’s long postseason run, the six games against the Warriors brought the team’s biggest weaknesses to light.

The Celtics roster struggled due to the shortage of talent surrounding Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The team’s lack of depth around its two stars showed during the playoffs and became hard to overcome as the toll of the long season wore down the duo.

When the Jays were off the court, the team struggled to score against opposing teams. Struggling to put points on the board with your best players taking a breather is a problem that is hard to overcome for any team.

Former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka attempted to stagger the minutes between Tatum and Brown in order to have one of their stars on the floor at all times. And while the move worked for the most part, ultimately, the supporting cast just wasn’t enough to finish the season how the Celtics would have liked. The front office knew that if the organization wanted to get over the hump, they’d have to address the issues at hand.

Since his promotion from head coach, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has made it clear that his intentions behind every roster move were to add players who could complement his young stars. Steven knew the importance of upgrading the roster and wasted no time making changes.

Boston’s first order of business in the offseason quickly made headlines. The Celtics reached an agreement to acquire Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers. The Cs sent what seemed like their entire bench to Indiana in exchange for Brogdon, but the move immediately filled a need.

Boston managed to grab one of the better perimeter defenders in the league in Brogdon, who could also provide playmaking and scoring off the bench. One of the most underrated moves of the offseason.

The Malcolm Brogdon effect on the Boston Celtics

Brogdon is averaging 14.9 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.4% from the field and 44.4% from three for the Boston Celtics this season. The Virginia product is arguably the front-runner for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. The six-foot-four combo guard has changed the play of the Cs bench and allowed the team to reach another level this year.

Last season, the Celtics play without the Jays on the floor was hard to watch. In 493 minutes without Tatum and Brown on the court, the Celtics had a -8.7 net rating. This season, in 218 minutes with Malcolm Brogdon in the lineup without the team’s young stars, Boston has a net rating of +2.9. With Brogdon on the floor with just one of Tatum or Brown, the Cs have a +6.1 net rating in 1,153 minutes. The difference in bench play for the Celtics between seasons is significant.

The Boston Celtics entered the season as title favorites and have quickly proven why. Boston jumped out early as the top team in the league, and their record reflected just that. The addition of Brogdon in the offseason and the former NBA Rookie of the Year’s ability to come off the bench seamlessly made the Cs even more dangerous than the season before. Boston’s ability to roll out a variety of different lineups based on favorable matchups gives the Celtics flexibility for postseason matchups. Not to mention the team’s ability to rest the Jays in-game without the fear of facing an uphill battle when the duo checks back in.

The Celtics clinched the No. 2 seed in the East with their win against Toronto on Wednesday night. Despite the team’s midseason struggles, Boston has managed to find its rhythm again and now looks ready for the playoffs to begin. With an upgraded roster, perhaps the results will be different for the Celtics this season.