Celtics’ Malcolm Brogdon Isn’t Focused On Winning This Award
'That accolade really means nothing'
First-year Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon isn’t too keen on the idea of personal accomplishments, rather doing his best to ensure team success.
Before the season began, Brogdon was booked as a favorite to win NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Oddsmakers priced the veteran at +1200, the fourth-best odds among players listed in contention. Yet to Brogdon, none of that matters.
Having never made a playoff run deeper than getting to the Eastern Conference finals once against the Toronto Raptors in 2019, Brogdon is determined to obtain team triumph than individual accolades.
“For me, that’s not important at all. Like I really don’t. I don’t care about that award at all,” Brogdon said Tuesday, per NBC Sports Boston video. “I really wanna win with this team. I came here to win a championship, to put up Banner 18. And that accolade really means nothing. I wanna win.”
With the Celtics losers in four of their last five games, Boston will seek a much-needed momentum spark next. However, taking the floor on Wednesday will serve as an emotional night for Brogdon. He spent his previous three seasons with the Indiana Pacers before being traded to Boston this past offseason.
“I think I ended up in a great situation in Boston,” Brogdon said. “… But it’s mixed emotions. I’m coming from a team in Indiana that we had good years. And there comes a time with most players in the NBA — on most teams — where it’s time to move on. And it was my time. … They did right by me and I’ll never forget that. So it’s been a lot of mixed emotions.”
Thus far, Brogdon has kept his word to not having a problem coming off the bench. The 30-year-old hasn’t made a start in 26 games and has still managed to be effective. Brogdon has averaged 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and in five of his last seven contests, he’s scored 15-plus points while shooting over 40% from the field.
He’s also provided veteran leadership by calling out their recent subpar play.
The Celtics (22-9) will face the Pacers (15-16) on Wednesday from TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET.
