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New B/R article highlights trio of Boston Celtics who will feel the most pressure in 2022-23

justin quinn
·4 min read

While some may see new Boston Celtics point guard Malcolm Brogdon as the player with the most to prove coming into coming into the 2022-23 NBA season for the Celtics, he is far from along in feeling the pressure any club on the rise ought to after coming within two wins of winning an NBA title.

But, as Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley notes in a recent article highlighting which players will be under the most pressure for Boston next season, “(b)eing really good isn’t good enough” anymore, with the expectation being that the Celtics at minimum make it back to the 2023 NBA Finals to make another run at a title.

For Buckley, it’s not just Brogdon who will be feeling the heat — let’s take a look at the trio of Boston players who the B/R writer believes will feel the most pressure on the team next season.

Malcolm Brogdon

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

As we quite noticeably suggested, Brogdon will be among the three. “The Celtics won’t outright position Malcolm Brogdon as their missing piece, but it’s hard not to paint him in that light after his summer move to (Boston),” suggests Buckley.

“Boston parted with recent lottery selection Aaron Nesmith and a first-round pick to get Brogdon, who will be immediately tasked with perking up the club’s passing and perimeter shooting. He’s skilled enough to help in those areas, while also contributing at the defensive end and even a bit on the glass. But can he stay healthy enough to make a difference? He played just 36 games in 2021-22 and hasn’t cleared 60 games since 2018-19.”

“Given how few tradeable assets the Celtics have left, the Brogdon deal was their all-in move to chase the 2023 title,” adds the B/R analyst. “He has the tools to get this done, but he needs to stay on the floor and mold his game to fit with this group.”

Payton Pritchard

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

“Pritchard impressed as a rookie but saw his playing time slashed as a sophomore,” notes the author. “He had to fight tooth and nail for floor time, and coach Ime Udoka didn’t always dial his number.”

“That made it tricky for Pritchard to find his rhythm, and he entered the summer hoping to avoid a repeat of that process … Considering Boston’s offseason, fluctuation could remain the norm for Pritchard. Between Brogdon, Marcus Smart and Derrick White, the Celtics have other, better options to turn to at point guard. It’s on Pritchard to prove he deserves a regular rotation role, anyway.”

“His three-ball is pure (career 41.2%), and he competes defensively, but it might take more than that to earn a spot in a guard group as loaded as this one,” which will likely be accomplished by all of Boston’s guards spending some time at the 2 or even 3 in Brogdon’s and White’s cases.

Jaylen Brown

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

“Jaylen Brown seems like a centerpiece,” writes Buckley of Boston’s best player in the 2022 NBA Finals. “Or at least Jayson Tatum’s top co-star.”

“Brown made the All-Star Game in 2021-22 and had the numbers to warrant a second consecutive selection this past season. He’s on a three-year run of averaging 20-plus points and has cleared three assists per night each of the past two campaigns, and he still might do his best work on the defensive end. Again, you’d think Boston would treat him as a building block, yet it was his name that was (ed. — allegedly) floated in those Durant talks.”

The B/R analyst makes some leaps regarding Brown’s status in those KD rumors we’re not sure we concur with, but we agree with Buckley about one thing he notes.

“(Brown) still may have one big hurdle to clear, though, and that’s the jump from really good to great,” he posits. “In order to complete that, he needs to really tighten his handles, improve his decision-making and sharpen his outside shot.”

Regardless of where one believes the Nets-Durant saga puts Brown, on that we likely all can agree.

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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire