Indiana Pacers: Player grades from deflating loss to the Pistons

Malcolm Brogdon did the heavy lifting once again for the Indiana Pacers

Well, I’m not too resolute on giving the Game MVP nod to anyone given how bad the Indiana Pacers played, particularly on offense, but Malcolm Brogdon was the primary reason why the team managed not to lose in an uglier fashion.

Jumping out of the stat sheet with a +11 net rating, the second-highest among both teams behind Joseph, Brogdon did the heavy lifting for Indy, finishing the contest with a game-high 20 points, including five boards, and four assists while playing impressive one-on-one defense against Cunningham all night long.

Malcolm was hit-and-miss from behind the arc, cashing in on just three of his nine tries, but still shot the ball relatively well, shooting 47.1 percent overall. However, his five turnovers led both teams, contributing a chunk of the Pacers’ messy ball handling against the Pistons’ D.

While Brogdon was the alpha for the Blue and Gold once again, he has to conduct the ball more efficiently and avoid pushing the traffic too much while remaining forceful and imposing on offense, especially against other guards. Also, I would like to see him feed the post more and recognize mismatches early, which are largely necessary gambles.

Malcolm Brogdon: B+