Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways From Loss To Denver Nuggets
By Adam McGee
A President Leading By Example
With no shortage of debate and discussion surrounding the idea of what is or isn’t presidential in recent days, weeks and months, Malcolm Brogdon continues to do his best to act as an exemplar for what a professional basketball player should be offering on the court.
Getting the starting nod on this occasion, Brogdon chipped in with 17 points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds against the Nuggets. Those kind of numbers would be an impressive showing in its own right for any rookie, or even more so a second round pick, but Brogdon is making that close to the normal at this point.
The loss to Denver was Brogdon’s third straight game scoring in double digits and his 32nd such scoring performance of the season. That’s noteworthy as scoring is one of the areas where Brogdon may stand out least among some of his fellow Rookie of the Year contenders.
With Joel Embiid officially ruled out for the season, the spotlight is going to grow ever brighter on Brogdon in terms of the NBA’s awards discussion.
As it is, the former Virginia Cavalier leads his rookie class in assists and steals per game, and three-point percentage, while ranking third overall in important categories like minutes and points per game.
For most, the decision seems likely to come down to Brogdon and Dario Saric, and it’s in his surroundings that the young Buck may unfortunately be at a disadvantage.
Having to share the ball and mesh alongside more proven NBA talents such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Greg Monroe will give Brogdon less of an opportunity to command games than Saric will have in Philadelphia.
If anything, Brogdon’s contributions should be valued at an even greater rate for his ability to instantly fit in with proven NBA players as a rookie, but that gap will certainly still stand in his way as one of the biggest potential obstacles on his path to silverware.
Next: NBA Power Rankings: Trade Deadline Impact Already Showing On Court
The Bucks will next be in action on Friday, as the Los Angeles Clippers will be the visitors to the Bradley Center for a 7pm start.