Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways From Loss To Boston Celtics

Leading By Example

Definitely the most integral part of the starting lineup who made the trip to Boston, Malcolm Brogdon continued his return from back injury with a predictably impressive showing.

The priority for the Rookie of the Year candidate was to shake off any rust and get some minutes under his belt, but the Bucks were never going to overdo it. Brogdon expressed that he’s feeling 100 percent healthy, and so the Bucks were happy to give him 23 minutes of burn before wrapping him up safely.

While Brogdon was on the court, without Giannis, Middleton or Delly for company, he was the sole ball-handler. As such, all responsibility for creating rested with him, and that was a task that he proved to be up to without breaking much of a sweat.

The former Virginia Cavalier’s ability to find teammates without turning it over isn’t a surprise at this point, but in getting his own points he gave further illustration of one of the more underrated elements of his game.

Drawing the attention of one of the league’s best on-ball defenders in the form of Avery Bradley, Brogdon showed no hesitation in taking the ball to the rim, and finished successfully more often than not.

Although Brogdon isn’t particularly fast in the open court, he possesses an excellent change of pace. A couple of stop-and-go moves left Bradley in his dust, while even when a defender was alongside to contest, Brogdon was able to use his body to fight off his man and create the perfect angle to finish.

Savvy has become a byword for Malcolm Brogdon’s play, but it’s important that the truth of that doesn’t get lost in any joke. Brogdon understands guard play better than most of his peers, and is maximizing his abilities as a result.