Milwaukee Bucks: Malcom Brogdon and the question of fit

The Milwaukee Bucks’ Malcolm Brogdon has found his groove as of late. Brogdon has improved his shot selection; and it shows. Yet, there are still holes in his game, making his role in the Bucks’ lineup extremely interesting.

This one goes out to Milwaukee Bucks Twitter. The back and forth, and somewhat strange, debates over whether or not Malcolm Brogdon is “good” have gone on for months. A deeper look into Brogdon’s recent statistics exemplify how he has truly found his role in head coach Mike Budenholzer’s offense, while still lacking on the defensive end.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo drives to the rim, defenders gather upon him to prevent a devastating dunk or layup. Spoiler alert to the other 29 NBA teams: this opens up easy three-point shot attempts.

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On the receiving end of an Antetokounmpo pass is typically one of four shooters: Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and most importantly, Malcolm Moses Brogdon.

For those not in the know, Brogdon is currently tracking to be a member of the 50-40-90 club. For the casual fans, this means that he is shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the three-point arc, and 90 percent from the free throw line. Other notable members of this illustrious club include greats such Stephen Curry and Steve Nash. Brogdon is that good in terms of shooting efficiency right now.

Boasting numbers consisting of 15.3 points on 50.4 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from three, and 98.2 percent from the stripe prove how efficient of a scorer Brogdon has become.

Brogdon’s advanced analytics are also very encouraging. Per 36 minutes, Brogdon is averaging 18.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. When given the minutes, Brogdon has solidified himself as a viable third option on a championship contending team.

More than just a three-point shooter, Brogdon has also become more confident in driving to the rim. His reverse layup is a thing of beauty, and has become increasingly more difficult for opponents to defend.

Brogdon has ramped up the aggression when driving to the hoop. Instead of deferring to teammates on the fastbreak, Brogdon takes the ball up with determination and is frequently rewarded for it.

This comes in handy when a defender aggressively closes out on him. When opponents see him with a wide open shot opportunity, they launch themselves at him to prevent the easy score. When this happens, Brogdon typically makes a quick dash to the rim and lays the ball up for the easy finish.

It is without question that Malcolm Brogdon is a stellar offensive player. But, for as good as Brogdon has been, there are still flaws to his game.

Brogdon is a defensive liability. The former two time ACC Defensive Player of the Year stands at 6’5” with a 6’11” wingspan. In the NBA, players are taller, faster, and stronger than their college counterparts. Unfortunately for Brogdon, this heightened competition has tarnished his defensive prowess.

Brogdon can be heavy footed at times, resulting in defenders easily blowing by him for the score. He simply lacks the lateral quickness to keep up with faster guards, and the speed to close out on three point shooters.

In order to provide some clarity, let’s examine one of the worst defenders in the NBA, Trae Young, and compare him to “The President”.

Young currently allows 4.1 field goals per game. At a closer glance, it shakes out to 1.5 three-pointers and 2.6 shots from the field. Opponents score on Young at a 43.8 percent clip; which is not ideal.

Brogdon’s numbers are very similar to Young’s. Brogdon allows 5.5 made field goals per game. 4.1 of the shots made on Brogdon come from inside the arc, while the other 1.6 come from the outside. 2.8 of the shots scored on Brogdon take place from outside of 15 feet, meaning his perimeter defending skills are severely lacking. To compare, Young is allowing 2.2 field goals made per game from outside of 15 feet.

Lastly, Brogdon is averaging a career high 1.8 turnovers per game. This is directly correlated to how much he has found the ball in his hands this season.

Coach Budenholzer prefers to keep one of his starters on the court at all times. When Bledsoe, Middleton, or Giannis substitute out of the game, Brogdon can often be seen taking the ball up the court. By becoming the primary ball handler, more turnovers for Brogdon occur.

Regardless, these numbers are a small blemish on an overall impressive stat sheet. He is still an offensive force in the NBA that teams will always have to game plan for.

Unfortunately, on the other end of the court, teams are able to target, and occasionally bully, Brogdon. He is simply not a capable defender…yet.

On the bright side, this is only Brogdon’s third season in the NBA. He is already 26 years old, but his shooting ability will allow for a lengthy NBA career. That being said, Brogdon will have plenty of time to improve his defensive capabilities.

For the time being, though, Brogdon may eventually be suited to a different position in the Milwaukee Bucks’ rotation.

Perhaps Brogdon’s time may be best spent coming off the bench. For as productive as Brogdon has been, his defense is still a glaring liability for an otherwise stellar Milwaukee Bucks’ team.

Tony Snell is a proven 3-and-D type player. He shoots the ball almost as well as Brogdon, at 38.7 percent from deep. Furthermore, Snell is a sound defender. Standing at 6’7” accompanied by a 7′ wingspan, Snell can guard positions one through four.

Snell is a capable NBA player. In years past, we have seen Snell take on the starting role at shooting guard for long stretches throughout the season. He can shoot and drive almost as well as Brogdon. What Snell lacks in offensive consistency, he makes up for in sound defensive skills.

At the end of the day, the Milwaukee Bucks have options. Their current lineup and gameplan is working, as they are the number one team in the NBA with a record of 26-10. By leaving Malcom Brogdon in the starting rotation, the Bucks’ offensive juggernaut will continue to break teams.

However, if the Bucks do decide they want to bolster their defensive intensity, they can always plug Tony Snell, or another capable defender such as Pat Connaughton, into the starting lineup.

Malcom Brogdon will put up respectable numbers on, or off, the bench. If taken out of the starting lineup, he will provide an immediate spark when substituted into the game. Conversely, if left in the starting rotation, Brogdon will continue to experience success knocking down threes and attacking the basket.

Whatever the Milwaukee Bucks decide to do, Malcom Brogdon will certainly be in the mix. After all, there is a reason he won the 2016-2017 Rookie of the Year award.