Malcolm Brogdon in his first season with the Boston Celtics wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
Malcolm Brogdon was given a new position off the bench by the Boston Celtics, and he picked it up quickly.
After a season in which he primarily played off the bench and helped the Celtics finish with the second-best record in the NBA, Brogdon was recognized as the NBA's sixth man of the year.
The 30-year-old guard won Rookie of the Year in 2016–17, making this the second significant individual honor of his career.
Malcom Brogdon on NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
Before accepting his position as a reserve player after being acquired by the Celtics, Brogdon had started every game over the previous four seasons of his NBA career.
Speaking on the adjustment he said, “This is such an honor. It has definitely been a transition for me, coming from Indiana to Boston.
“My last two seasons, they weren’t super successful, so for me that was another gut check for me in understanding that maybe I’m not a No. 1 guy but I can be a great No. 2, 3 or 4.
“Coming to Boston and playing behind JT, behind JB, these guys are proven All-Stars and soon to be All-NBA guys. It’s definitely a good fit for me.”
In terms of points per game, he was still third on Boston, just behind All-NBA contenders Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics were 26-9 when Brogdon made at least 50% of his field goal attempts, and 13-0 when he made at least 63%.
Immanuel Quickley of New York and Bobby Portis of Milwaukee were Brogdon's rivals in the finals, but he won by garnering 60 out of 100 first-place votes and a total of 408 points from the media panel.
Only Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Clippers concluded the season with a higher average in those three categories among players who mostly played off the bench. Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
Even though Brogdon had started each of his previous 210 regular-season games, the Celtics sent a sizable deal to Indiana last summer for him that included five players and a first-round draft pick.
Their intention was to use him specifically as an off-the-bench player. For the Celtics, he appeared in 67 games only as a reserve.
Sixth man was the league's fourth individual award announced thus far this season, joining Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis as defensive player of the year.
De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento was the first clutch player award recipient, and Kings coach Mike Brown as the unanimous choice for coach of the year.
John Havlicek, a Celtics Hall of Famer who excelled off the bench unlike any other player before him, is recognized with the Sixth Man of the Year award.
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