The Boston Celtics take another step forward in their acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers.
As half of the league is waiting around to see what the resolution is between Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics decided to not wait around and flat-out steal Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers.
After an impressive run to the NBA Finals, the Celtics decided to look at themselves in the mirror and improve their weaknesses. They lacked a true playmaker and that is no longer going to be a problem after adding Brogdon in exchange for Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, and a 2023 first-round pick.
Essentially, the Celtics traded pieces that they weren’t even using for an all-star level talent. Brogdon may no longer be that all-star player but is coming off a season in which he averaged 19 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 31 percent shooting from 3-point range.
It’s unlikely those numbers will translate to on-court production in Boston but it just goes to show just how good and talented he can be. He’ll be an excellent addition for the Celtics and could be the final piece of the puzzle for a team that lacked depth in the postseason.
Their lack of depth was nearly the reason they lost in the second round, in the conference finals, and then might be the reason they ultimately lost in the NBA Finals.
Boston entered the offseason trying to shore their depth up and hit an absolute home run with the Brogdon acquisition. Of course, there’s one big question that Brogdon will need to answer – and that is that he can remain healthy for an entire season.
Brogdon hasn’t played in 60 games in each of the last two seasons and for his career, has only played more than 70 games in a year once – his rookie season.
On paper, the Celtics took a massive step forward. While nearly every other contender in the league is figuring out a way to land Kevin Durant, the Celtics decided to believe in their blueprint and add to it.
Boston will enter the season as one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship. At this point, it’s difficult to find a weakness on their roster.