The Indiana Pacers' success has been one of the pleasant surprises of this NBA season. Despite not having Victor Oladipo to start the season due to injury while also losing Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison and Tyreke Evans in the offseason, they earned wins in 16 of their first 25 games, including claiming victory in four of their last six contests.
Getting off to that hot of a start after losing most of the top scorers from last season is impressive, and it's partially thanks to the play of new point guard Malcolm Brogdon, who has helped this team do more than just stay afloat.
Brogdon is helping this squad find its groove on the offensive end while the All-Star guard in Oladipo gets back to 100 percent health. Through a little more than the first quarter of the season, Brogdon is averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists to make an All-Star case for himself while keeping the Pacers in contention for a top-four seed in the East.
Brogdon's ability to effortlessly find easy buckets for himself and his teammates is a big part of the reason why the Pacers have been able to put forth a respectable offense in Oladipo's absence. The guard has improved his overall production after joining the exclusive 50-40-90 club last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, all while maintaining similar efficiency. This season is the first time we've seen Brogdon in more than a complementary role, and he's handling it with great aplomb.
Brogdon's free-throw shooting is especially notable. He led the league by knocking down 92.8 percent of his foul shots last season, and he's 88-of-93 (94.6 percent) from the charity stripe this season, including a span of 44 straight makes lasting from the middle of the season opener until Indiana’s win against the Jazz on Nov. 27. These free throws are earned by Brogdon due to his proficiency when it comes to driving to the basket, as he ranks 12th in the league with 16.1 drives to the basket per game.
The Pacers have given Brogdon the keys to the offense, and he has been driving the Pacers to what may very well be a prominent role in the playoffs.
The scariest thing about this Pacers team is they will only get better, as Oladipo is bound to return this season. The Pacers have the luxury of not having to rush back, so he's going to take his time to make sure he's back to full health whenever he does return.
Indiana's schedule is about to toughen up after going through a soft early portion, so Brogdon will have to continue his outstanding play as the club awaits Oladipo's return. From what we've seen so far, though, there's little reason to doubt Brogdon. He's coming off a 29-point performance in a thrilling comeback victory over the Boston Celtics, which pushed the Pacers to their 16-9 record.
Malcolm Brogdon deserves nothing but an “A” for his performance so far.
Follow Us
Subscribe