Boston Celtics: 3 thoughts on the start of the 2022-23 season
Boston Celtics thought No. 2: Malcolm Brogdon needs more minutes
Early on in his tenure with the Celtics, Malcolm Brogdon has looked like the perfect fit with this team. He’s a solid defender who can create shots for himself and his teammates on the other end of the floor. The problem is he’s being underutilized early on in the season.
With Robert Williams III forced to miss the start of the season, it made sense to pair Brogdon up in the backcourt with Marcus Smart in the starting lineup. Instead, Mazzulla turned to Derrick White, which didn’t make a ton of sense, and still really doesn’t. White is a good complementary player, and he does his job well, but it’s pretty clear that he isn’t the player that Brogdon is.
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Brogdon is averaging just 23.1 minutes per game to open the season, which feels low, especially considering how White is playing 27. White is starting, yes, but he doesn’t offer the same capabilities that Brogdon does. Brogdon has been effective coming off the bench and controlling things for the second unit, but it feels like down the stretch of close games, he needs to be on the court over guys like White or Grant Williams.
In terms of pure talent, Brogdon is probably the third best player on Boston right now (fourth when Williams is healthy). They pulled off a big move to get him this offseason, and now it’s time to actually use him. Brogdon needs to take on a bigger role, even if he still is coming off the bench, in order for the Celtics to reach their full potential this season.