The Boston Celtics had, by most accounts, among or even the best offseason in the NBA in 2022 due to their signing of veteran swingman Danilo Gallinari and especially their trade for Indiana Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon for big man Daniel Theis, reserve wing Aaron Nesmith, three seldom-used players and a first-round draft pick.
It is Brogdon in particular who has caught the attention of some analysts who are eyeing what each team in the NBA has done to improve. He is viewed as the Celtics’ most dangerous new weapon. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley is the latest to highlight the former Pacers guard as the Celtics’ best addition.
Let’s take a look at his assessment:
New Boston Celtics reserve point guard Malcolm Brogdon reached out to Jaylen Brown during Kevin Durant trade request saga https://t.co/rSH9a0w5sf
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 31, 2022
“Danilo Gallinari’s meniscus tear is objectively a bummer for Boston, but at least he wasn’t the club’s most critical addition this summer,” suggests Buckley.
“That distinction instead lands with Malcolm Brogdon, who could prove to be the Shamrocks’ missing piece so long as he stays healthy.”
Scratch that Celtics basketball itch with a watch of the first clip in the series. https://t.co/AG2ztRkGjo
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 31, 2022
“So far, the 29-year-old has had trouble doing just that,” continued the B/R analyst.
“His 36 games in 2021-22 were a career low, but he hasn’t cleared 60 games since 2018-19 and only topped 65 games in 2016-17, his rookie season. That’s perhaps why Boston landed him relatively cheaply, essentially sacrificing only a protected first-round pick and Daniel Theis. If the Shamrocks can keep Brogdon upright, he should shine.”
“While he lacks a standout skill, he grades out as above-average to very good in many areas, which should allow him to shapeshift and fill any voids that arise around star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown,” notes Buckley.
And before you ask, no — it wasn’t Larry Bird. https://t.co/9XROFCqjBF
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 31, 2022
“Brogdon’s versatility reaches both ends too, so he’ll be an effortless addition to head coach Ime Udoka’s defensive system,” offers the author.
There’s a very good case that a healthy Gallinari would be in the mix as well given he is certainly capable of putting a lot of points on the board in a short amount of time, but it’s the ‘healthy’ aspect that has us agreeing with Buckley.
As things stand while we wait for the Italian forward to heal from a torn meniscus, we, too, must throw our vote to Brogdon as Boston’s most dangerous new weapon for the 2022-23 season.
It was a flashbulb moment for the ages. https://t.co/lwzbYb5Djg
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 31, 2022
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