It has been a wild few months for the Boston Celtics organization.
In June, the team lost in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors after a fantastic playoff run.
Boston’s strong postseason showing made it clear that the team was extremely close to having a championship-level roster, so the Celtics went out and added a major piece in July: Malcolm Brogdon.
Unfortunately, Boston’s positive momentum took a huge hit in September when Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season due to inappropriate relations.
As a result of Udoka’s suspension, a lot of NBA fans don’t really know what to expect from the Celtics in the upcoming season.
However, people around the NBA seem to think one thing is very clear for Boston: Brogdon is an underrated addition.
NBA GMs were recently surveyed on a number of topics, and for one question, they were asked to name the most underrated player acquisition of the league’s offseason.
Per NBA.com, Brogdon was the most popular answer, as 28 percent of respondents picked him.
The full results can be seen here:
“1. Malcolm Brogdon, Boston – 28%
“T-2. P.J. Tucker, Philadelphia – 14%
“T-2. John Wall, LA Clippers – 14%
“4. De’Anthony Melton, Philadelphia – 10%
“5. Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit – 7%”
A few other moves around the NBA also received consideration from respondents:
“Also receiving votes: [Will] Barton/[Monte] Morris, Washington; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Denver; Rudy Gobert, Minnesota; Jerami Grant, Portland; Kevin Huerter, Sacramento; Dejounte Murray, Atlanta; Royce O’Neale, Brooklyn; [Brooklyn] Nets not trading stars.”
GMs clearly think Brogdon will bring a lot to the table for Boston, and it’s hard to argue with that belief.
Impact Player
Brogdon has yet to make an All-Star team in his NBA career, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to call him a star.
He’s an extremely talented player who does a lot of things well, and he has had some very impressive statistical seasons throughout his time in the league.
Malcolm Brogdon is exactly what the Celtics needed
— ᴊᴏʜɴɴʏ☘️ (@BantonioClown) October 2, 2022
Adding Malcolm Brogdon to this Celtics team was a BIG deal
— Cameron 🎃 Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) October 2, 2022
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, he has maintained averages of 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from beyond the arc.
He’s also a very strong defender, which makes him a wonderful fit in Boston’s system.
The Celtics were a force to be reckoned with last season on the defensive end, and Brogdon will help them even more in that regard.
Since Boston has so much talent, the team is going to have the luxury of playing Brogdon as a sixth man.
That’s perfectly fine with the 29-year-old, who made it clear during his introductory press conference that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win.
“I want to come here and sacrifice to win,” Brogdon said after being asked about coming off the bench. “I think everybody on a great team, everybody sacrifices. [Jayson] Tatum, [Jaylen] Brown, all of us have to take things off our plate and sacrifice a few things.”
Brogdon could be the piece that puts the Celtics over the top, and he’s surely looking forward to competing for a title with his new squad.
The veteran has a solid amount of playoff experience, but he’s still looking for his first championship, and he’d certainly love nothing more than to accomplish that goal.
