After the Boston Celtics’ crazy offseason, the acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon went somewhat under the radar. But according to the recent NBA GM Survey, the league took notice.
The annual survey results featured the Celtics multiple times, and the NBA’s general managers named the move for the former Indiana Pacer as the most underrated player acquisition.
Malcolm Brogdon going to Boston earns the top spot for the "most underrated player acquisition" of the year according to 28% of the NBA GM votes.
Is Malcolm Brogdon really the missing piece for the Celtics to win it all this season? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/mtGJ8ZMwFu
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 4, 2022
During Boston’s first preseason matchup versus the Charlotte Hornets, Brogdon proved the league’s GMs right. He did it all in 24 minutes, putting up 11 points to go along with nine assists and five rebounds. Of course, it’s only preseason, but the Cs could benefit significantly from plays like these:
Malcolm Brogdon with a dime 🪙
He has 5 assists thus far.pic.twitter.com/aihEOeNsUk
— Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) October 2, 2022
The 29-year-old showed just what he can do off the bench, and if that’s the role he continues to play for the Celtics, it could be a huge boon for his offensive game. According to Brogdon himself, playing alongside the two Boston stars will draw attention away from him and free him up for better looks.
Malcolm Brogdon believes playing alongside the Jays will open up his offensive game: "We have 2 of the best scorers in the world on our team. It's going to open me up. It opens Marcus up. I'm going to get easier shots than I have in the past and get more lanes to the basket."
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) October 2, 2022
Plus, NBA GMs aren’t the only people across the league who believe in Brogdon’s abilities. His new teammates do as well:
"Malcolm's really good at basketball, that's an obvious one"
Jaylen Brown on Malcolm Brogdon pic.twitter.com/OLa8CczJxQ
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 2, 2022
Following an offseason filled with injuries and scandal, the Celtics’ acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon was undoubtedly a major bright spot. He’s a solid defender who can also score at a high clip regardless of whether he’s starting or not. Additionally, he’ll take some of the offensive workload off the shoulders of Brown and Tatum, which should be huge in the long run. With less fatigued stars, Boston could once again make a deep run in the NBA playoffs.
While Boston would’ve obviously wanted the offseason to go differently, it seems that the front office hit the mark with Brogdon. If he can stay healthy down the stretch, the Celtics should be able to set their sights on the NBA Finals again.