Cavaliers Now

UVA in the NBA: Previewing Malcolm Brogdon’s NBA Season with the Indiana Pacers

Brogdon and fellow UVA alum Rick Carlisle look to lead the Pacers back to the playoffs

Matt Newton

The 2021-2022 NBA season has officially begun and it is time to take an in-depth look at the UVA basketball alums in the league this season.

Today, we take a look at Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was in the headlines this week after signing a two-year, $45 million contract extension with the Pacers.

Note: stay tuned for a preview for De’Andre Hunter.

Click here for the preview on Trey Murphy.

Click here for the preview on Joe Harris.

Click here for the preview on Ty Jerome. 

Malcolm Brogdon has unquestionably surpassed expectations in his first five seasons in the NBA. Although a great player in college, many NBA experts did not think his game would translate well to the pros. As a result, Brogdon fell to the second round of the draft and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 36th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. Brogdon showed the Bucks right away that they got the steal of the draft, as he had an impressive rookie season, even dunking on LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in one game.

Brogdon won Rookie of the Year in 2017, becoming the first player selected in the second round of the draft to ever win the award.

Brogdon continued his stellar play in his next two seasons with Milwaukee. In 2019, he became only the eighth player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club, shooting 50.5% from the field, 42.6% from three, and 92.8% from the free-throw line. Brogdon and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001, but they lost to the eventual NBA Champion Toronto Raptors in six games.

Brogdon became a restricted free agent following the 2019 season and then joined the Indiana Pacers via a sign-and-trade, signing a four-year deal. He recorded a double-double in each of his four games with the Pacers to start the 2019-2020 season.

Brogdon has improved his scoring average in each of his five seasons in the NBA, including a massive leap last year from 16.5 points per game to 21.2 points per game. He recorded 5.9 assists per game and 5.3 rebounds per game and shot 45.3% from the field and 38.8% from three last season. Brogdon also set a new career-high with 36 points in a win over the Raptors last season.

Indiana this Season

The Pacers made five consecutive trips to the playoffs from 2016 to 2020, but lost in the first round each time. Indiana missed the playoffs last season with a record of 34-38. The Pacers are looking to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since Larry Bird coached the Pacers to the Finals in the 1999-2000 season.

This season will be the first year under new head coach Rick Carlisle, who coached the Dallas Mavericks from 2008-2021 and won an NBA Championship in 2011. Carlisle, who is also an alum of the University of Virginia, previously coached the Pacers for four seasons from 2003 to 2007.

Indiana has a talented and deep team, centered around Malcolm Brogdon and two-time All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis. The Pacers have the pieces to make a deep playoff run, but the main obstacle standing in their way is injury. Caris LeVert will be out to start the season with a stress fracture in his lower back, but he is expected to return within a few weeks. T.J. Warren is also out to start the season as he continues to rehab from a foot surgery. There is no timetable for his return yet. Guards Justin Holiday (left ankle) and Jeremy Lamb (right wrist) are questionable for opening night.

If and when the team is eventually fully healthy, the starting lineup will likely be Malcolm Brogdon (point guard), Caris LeVert (shooting guard), T.J. Warren (small forward), Domantas Sabonis (power forward), and Myles Turner (center). The Pacers’ bench is solid, featuring backup point guard T.J. McConnell as well as an abundance of wings in Justin Holiday, Torrey Craig, Jeremy Lamb, and Oshae Brissett. Rookies Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson also have a great deal of potential as first round picks in this year’s NBA Draft.

If the Pacers can become healthy, they have the stars, the supporting cast, and the coaching to make a deep run into the NBA Playoffs next spring. The Pacers just reinvested in Malcolm Brogdon, extending his contract another two years for $45 million, showing that the organization has a considerable amount of commitment and a belief that Brogdon can lead the Pacers to success in the NBA postseason.

Brogdon and the Pacers begin their season on the road against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at 7pm. 

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Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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