Brogdon hopes to be on point with Celtics

On a team that made the NBA Finals last season, Malcolm Brogdon could be the final piece that puts the Boston Celtics over the top.

Acquired in a July trade with the Indiana Pacers, the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year is the type of point guard who is a solid passer, ball handler and defender, finishes well at the rim and commits few turnovers. Over the last two seasons, he’s one of a handful of players who averaged at least 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Last year, his numbers were 19.1, 5.1 and 5.9.

He considers himself a point guard first and over his career he has proven himself to be a guy who can take care of the ball and lead a team on the court. But in Boston, he’ll join a backcourt rotation with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Derrick White, thus forcing him to play shooting guard more often.

He did that with the Milwaukee Bucks in the first three years of his NBA career and toward the end of his three-year tenure with the Pacers but it was not his desired role. He’d rather be the guy who gets his teammates involved, who competes on both ends of the court, rather than the shooter. He wants to be a leader and a winner.

He’ll certainly get that chance in Boston, which is where Brogdon and the Celtics will tip off the 202223 season against the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of a doubleheader airing Tuesday, Oct. 18, from TD Garden on TNT.

FULL NAME: Malcolm Moses Adams Brogdon BIRTH DATE: Dec. 11, 1992 BIRTHPLACE: Atlanta HEIGHT/WEIGHT : 6 feet 5 inches/229 pounds COLLEGE: Virginia

DRAFT: Selected in the second round (36th overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016 TEAMS: Milwaukee Bucks (201619); Indiana Pacers (2019-22); Boston Celtics (2022-present) POSITION: Point guard, shooting guard

NO. :13 HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: NBA Rookie of the Year (2017); NBA AllRookie First Team (2017); ACC Player of the Year (2016); ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016)