Indiana Pacers could have All-Star in Malcolm Brogdon

After signing with the Indiana Pacers this offseason, Malcolm Brogdon has solidified himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA. By putting the league on notice, Brogdon has emerged as a potential All-Star.

Indiana Pacers starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon came into the league overlooked out of the University of Virginia and has since then made a name for himself in the NBA.

As a fan of a fellow Atlantic Coast Conference foe, the University of Louisville, and seeing numerous games he had played in, I always believed Brogdon was going to be a solid NBA player.

The fact that Brogdon was selected with the 36th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks was shocking, considering how much success he had in his collegiate career for the Virginia Cavaliers.

Brogdon led the Cavaliers in scoring his senior year by averaging 18 points per game. The Atlanta native was named the 2016 ACC Player of the Year, arguably the best college basketball conference in the country.

Brogdon also earned the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year award that same season. A testament to his ability to impact a game in a multitude of ways.

In his rookie season with the Bucks, Brogdon averaged nearly 10 PPG with an average of 26 minutes logged per contest. Brogdon also nearly shot 40 percent from three-point range with only 28 starts that season.

As a result, Brogdon won the 2017 NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.

Brogdon’s numbers have steadily increased with each season. Last year, Brogdon was second in the NBA in free-throw percentage (90.8 percent) and had an impressive field-goal percentage of 57.5.

On top of being an efficient scorer, Brogdon showcased his defense, in particular, his ball pressure.

Brogdon stands at 6-5, 239 lbs. His size is something that allows him to be an effective defender, making it tough on opposing point guards who don’t match up physically.

The fact that he was traded by the Bucks was shocking, considering what he had already proved and what his potential could be down the line.

However, Pacers fans are happy to have him as a leader of the team.

Thus far in his first year with the Pacers, Brogdon is the team’s leading scorer, averaging nearly 23 points per game. Brogdon is second in the NBA in assists per game (9.7).

To put this in perspective, no other point guard in the Eastern Conference currently is averaging both 20 points and 10 assists per game.

Brogdon isn’t a player that will “wow” with a ton of flashy plays or be overly vocal, but he will make the right plays on both ends of the floor consistently.

The point guard is very calm under pressure, which is something that won’t show up in the stat sheet, but is equally important when it comes to close games and pulling out wins without the aid of Victor Oladipo.

If Brogdon is still averaging 20 points and 10 assists per game with the Pacers within playoff contention in January it would be tough to argue against him not being named an Eastern Conference All-Star.

With injuries to starters Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner, Brogdon will have to continue to consistently bring his A-game each night.

There is no doubt that he will continue to do so.

The Pacers started the season 0-3 but have won three games in a row, partially due to the production and consistency of Brogdon.

The Pacers play the Charlotte Hornets tonight, any opportunity for “Humble Moses” to add to his impressive season all-star bid.