What Malcolm Brogdon’s Game 2 could mean for the Boston Celtics

When Malcolm Brogdon shot 1/6 from the field in his Boston Celtics playoff debut against Atlanta, Cs fans naturally expected a quick turnaround for the league’s best bench scorer. After all, Brogdon did win this year’s Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

Instead, Brogdon continued to struggle with his play, particularly from beyond the arc. After finishing the regular season with the fourth-best 3-point percentage (44.4%) in basketball, the President shot just 29% from deep in his first seven games of the playoffs.

Fortunately for Brogdon and the Boston Celtics, the combo guard may have found his jumper again.

In Game 2 vs. the 76ers, Brogdon gave Boston a much-needed shot in the arm. The crafty shot creator poured in 23 points in 24 minutes, nailing a team-high six 3-pointers on 10 tries. Following the win, Brogdon boosted his postseason 3-point percentage to 36.6% across eight contests.

So far in these playoffs, the Celtics have struggled with game-to-game consistency. However, a rejuvenated Brogdon could solve some of these problems for Boston while bringing a new level of energy to the title contenders.

When Brogdon eats, the Boston Celtics eat

Brogdon’s presence already helps Boston in so many ways, but when the sharpshooter shoots the way he can, the Celtics become a tough nut to crack. This season, Boston went 16-4 when Brogdon sank more than two 3-pointers. That’s an 80% win rate — good for a 66-win campaign.

In the postseason, Boston’s sixth-man sensation has quietly improved his nightly points and assists from the regular season while decreasing his turnovers. The 30-year-old has averaged 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, all while averaging just 0.9 turnovers per game.

Brogdon has emerged as a leader during his first year in Beantown. In his latest postgame interview, he provided insight into the Celtics and their mindset moving forward.

"“We were resilient. I thought it started with JB, he set the tone. It’s about setting the tone for the next game. This was one game. They came out and played a great game in the first one. I thought tonight, we flipped the script… but that’s one game. It doesn’t mean anything if there’s no carryover.”"

When Boston traded for Brogdon last summer, Celtics fans had mixed feelings about the acquisition. Despite his undeniable promise as a supreme scoring talent, the veteran ball handler’s injury history raised concerns for many. After playing just 36 games during his last year in Indiana, Brogdon stepped up and played in 67 this season.

Aside from getting plenty of buckets, the six-foot-five guard provides the Celtics with elite handling and control of the basketball. Throughout the season, Brogdon led the team in average dribbles per game while garnering the second-most total dribbles on the roster behind Jayson Tatum. The bench sparkplug only trailed Jaylen Brown and Tatum in usage rate on the team.

Brogdon’s role as a primary ball handler has certainly helped to alleviate the Achilles heel that cost Boston in last year’s NBA Finals: turnovers.

After ranking 14th in assist/turnover ratio last season, the Celtics finished No. 4 in that category while committing fewer turnovers than 23 other teams. In their current playoff run, the Celtics have boasted the best assist/turnover ratio in the league, along with the best true shooting percentage.

When Brogdon gets cooking, he can change the outcome of a playoff game for the Boston Celtics

Brogdon has the scoring acumen to turn a game on its head, as Boston Celtics fans have witnessed all season long. In fact, the Celtics are 13-5 this season when Brogdon scores 20 or more points.

Although Brogdon’s ball-dominant playstyle can occasionally stall the offense, his ability to hunt out high-quality looks makes his volume well worth it. The mild-mannered guard makes a not-so-mild impact when he finds his rhythm, and he seemed to find that rhythm in Game 2.

As the Celtics visit the Sixers for Game 3, supporting pieces like Brogdon will have to perform for Boston in a hostile environment. In his postgame presser, Brown discussed the importance of bringing the proper intensity on the road.

"“Tough environment, going into Philly. It’ll be a hostile environment, but it should be fun. I think we all should be excited to embrace that challenge. You’ve gotta be worthy of what you say you wanna do, and these are the moments and tests that you’ve gotta persevere through. All of these challenges…you can’t run from them, you can’t hide. You’ve gotta just accept it head-on and come out and play Celtic basketball.”"

Brogdon’s long-range reliability was a staple in a well-oiled Boston offense all season long, and his Game 2 outburst could hint at a return to his 3-point brilliance. While the Celtics managed without his outside production to begin the playoffs, it would go a long way for them to regain the Sixth Man of the Year’s consistency.

If Brogdon stays hot from three, Philly could be in for a long series.