The Boston Celtics went and got themselves a really good playmaker when they acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers in a deal that didn’t see them give up any of their big pieces that helped them get to the NBA Finals. Many have pointed out that not having a proper playmaker at point guard is an issue for the Celtics, and Brogdon definitely addresses the need for playmaking.
This puts Marcus Smart in an interesting position. The DPOY went on record earlier in the year to talk about how the Celtics’ had gone further with him, a ‘non-playmaking point guard’, than they had before with more traditional ones. So after the Brogdon trade was announced, many looked to see what Smart had to say.
He tweeted about it, also mentioning another acquisition, Danilo Gallinari, and there was nothing spicy about his quotes. The guard explained that all he was thinking about at this point was winning the championship.
https://twitter.com/smart_MS3/status/1542984448739889153
“Man REALLY excited about the moves we made today!! Want to welcome @gallinari8888 and @MalcolmBrogdon7 to bean town … #banner18 is all that’s on my mind!!
What is interesting about this is that for their careers, Smart and Brogdon both average nearly the same when it comes to assists. Brogdon is also known for his defense, and the duo should end up being part of a great backcourt set for the Celtics.
While Brogdon isn’t a splashy acquisition, he is an excellent player who will surely bring a lot to a Celtics team that already made it to the NBA Finals in 2022. As they aim to get back to the final hurdle and clear it, having his capabilities in addition to Smart, Tatum, and Brown is an excellent situation to be in for the franchise. It will be interesting to see how Head Coach Ime Udoka approaches Brogdon’s integration into the team.
