Brogdon explains why he’s joining Celtics at ‘perfect time’ in his career originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Malcolm Brogdon has played six NBA seasons and achieved plenty of success.
After being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round, he won the league’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2016-17. The veteran point guard also helped the Bucks reach the playoffs in each of the three seasons he played in Milwaukee. One of those playoff runs saw a 60-win Bucks team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019.
Brogdon signed an offer sheet with the Pacers after the 2019 playoffs and completed his move to Indiana via a sign-and-trade. He put up good individual stats with the Pacers but the team was never a threat in the East over the last three years.
Brogdon is now at the point in his career where winning matters above all else. It’s not about playing for huge contracts or personal accolades. He wants to win at the highest level, and he’s hopeful that his addition to the Boston Celtics’ roster will be the historic franchise’s last piece to its championship puzzle.
“I’m in my prime. I’m 29 years old,” Brogdon said Tuesday at his introductory Celtics press conference. “I experienced winning at a high level in Milwaukee my first three years. I went to Indiana and had a solid season, and then sort of two rough seasons.
“So this is everything I’ve wanted, to be able to get back to this level, to compete with guys who want to win a championship and who are all in and want to sacrifice to win. It’s very fortuitous for me to be here. I think it’s the perfect time for me.”
The Celtics reached the NBA Finals last season for the first time since 2010. Unfortunately for the C’s, they came up a little bit short, losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Boston’s front office, led by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, has been aggressive during the offseason making genuine roster upgrades to improve the team’s defensive versatility and scoring depth.
How Malcolm Brogdon feels about sharing backcourt with Marcus Smart
The two most prominent additions have been Brogdon via trade and veteran forward Danilo Gallinari via free agency. Both of these players can play multiple positions and provide much-needed scoring off the bench.
The Celtics still have other avenues to make further improvements, including a $17.1 million traded player exception (TPE). But even if the Celtics don’t finalize any more substantial moves before next season, the additions of Brogdon and Gallinari alone should be enough to help Boston make another deep playoff run in 2023.
