Malcolm Brogdon is the Perfect Role Player For Postseason Basketball

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UVA legend Malcolm Brogdon scored 15 points in the Bucks’ Game 1 victory over Toronto, but it’s all the little things he does that makes him so valuable this time of year.

Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon wasn’t the leading scorer in Milwaukee’s Game 1 victory over Toronto and he probably won’t be from here on out. Then again, they don’t need him to be…but they do need him.

Brogdon, playing in just his second game since March 15th, came off the bench with 15 points to help the Bucks outlast Toronto 108-100 in Game 1. He was remarkably efficient in 27 minutes, making a trio of three-balls (3-for-6), all his free throws (2-for-2) and all but one of his two-point shots (2-for-3). That’s impressive, yet, the fact that he outscored the entire Raptors bench (15 to 12) is even more shocking (and telling about how valuable he actually is).

One more stat, then I’ll move on: Brogdon had the best plus/minus on either team in Game 1 (+18).

OK, let’s talk about Brogdon, the Bucks, and the perception for a second. By and large, the national perception is that the Bucks will go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo can take them. That’s true…sort of.

It will be up to Giannis to keep them in games. If he wasn’t on the floor, the Raptors and Warriors would sweep them no problem. But there’s a fine line between being close and winning. Milwaukee’s role players and bench will need to play well if they want to win the East and potentially, the NBA Finals. Brook Lopez was huge in Game 1, as was Brogdon and George Hill. Margins are razor thin this deep in the postseason; you can’t count on one guy to win eight games against the NBA’s best. It takes the entire rotation; never forget how key the entire bench was for Dallas in 2011 or how big Iguodala was in 2015.

This is where Malcolm Brogdon comes in.

He wasn’t even around in the first two rounds and truthfully, they didn’t need him. The Pistons weren’t a real playoff team and Boston was a trainwreck on and off the court. But Toronto has real players that enjoy one another and Golden State is, well, Golden State. Winning against them — you know, real teams — will require concrete camaraderie and maximum team effort — Malcolm Brogdon’s specialty.

Brogdon is ALL about the collective, both on the court — which I’ll get to — and as a teammate. I mean, a lot of guys would bitch and moan if they were coming off the bench in the playoffs after starting every game he played in during the regular season (64 GS/64 GP). Not Brogdon, though. I’m not inside the locker room but I’m confident he knew full well that the Bucks went 8-1 in playoff games without him and accepted his role. The Bucks are already bought in as a team but something like this just reinforces the mission.

On the court, Brogdon is team-first at all times while mixing in legit talent. You’ve heard this before about plenty of grinders but the former Virginia star does all the little things to help secure victories. If there’s a loose ball, he’s going full-tilt in that direction. Open shooter from the other team? Same thing, he’s gonna close out HARD just because it’s the right play. Some of it, I’m sure, comes from Tony Bennett and the system he developed in but a lot of it is pure instinct. And all this isn’t to paint him as a goon or something, Brogdon has game and the combination makes him unique. Truthfully, Brogdon is one of the few non-NBA All-Stars that would get heavy minutes on any team — no doubt about it.

(Look at the video below — in 20 seconds he makes two hustle plays. Fans looking for dunks and crossovers might not notice but fans accustomed to watching the Wahoos definitely recognize.)

He’s the perfect role player for this time of year. Defense, hustle, np headaches internally and can knock down open looks.

Moving forward, the Bucks are up 1-0 and heavy favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals. As far as Brogdon goes, he may be the most important Bucks player (not named Giannis) for the stretch run and that’s a good thing — there aren’t slumps when it comes to hustle and defense.

I’m a little early to the party because he’s a Wahoo but he will get a lot of attention over the next few weeks, especially if the Bucks advance. There will be national publications writing about him and his stock will rise higher than it’s ever been. All of it will be deserved.