Celtics Receive Concerning Update on Malcolm Brogdon's Arm Injury

Malcolm Brogdon is averaging one point and shooting 9.1 percent from the field in the Celtics' last two games.

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Malcolm Brogdon delivered everything the Celtics hoped to get from him during the regular season. The former Virginia Cavalier produced 14.9 points, the highest scoring average among players who never cracked the starting lineup in the 82-game campaign. He also grabbed 4.2 rebounds and dished out 3.7 assists per contest.

He also nearly shot his way into the 50/40/90 club for the second time in his career, shooting 48.4 percent from the field, knocking down a career-best 44.4 percent of the 4.4 threes he hoisted, the fourth-highest accuracy rate in the NBA, and converted on 87 percent of his free throws.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

That earned Brogdon Sixth Man of the Year honors. In Boston's first-round series against the Hawks, the Atlanta native made only 28 percent of the 4.2 threes he launched. But he found other ways to make an impact, contributing 13.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds.

Against the Sixers in the second round, his shooting returned. Brogdon buried 52.3 percent of the 6.3 threes he took. He averaged 16 points per contest and was one of the Celtics' best on-ball defenders against James Harden.

Making his performance that series more impressive is that, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Brogdon was playing through golfer's elbow soreness.

After worsening the injury while boxing out Kevin Love in the first quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Weiss reports Brogdon got an MRI, revealing a partial tear in the tendon coming out of his right elbow that leads into his forearm.

That landed him on Boston's injury report ahead of Game 2, with the Celtics listing him as probable due to a right forearm strain.

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Donning an arm sleeve, he registered 13 points on 4/9 shooting, four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in that 111-105 loss. And he was a part of Boston's most productive lineup alongside Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams. That unit had a plus-minus rating of plus-16, more than doubling their other combinations, per NBA.com.

But two nights later in South Beach, Brogdon went scoreless in an 0/6 performance in 18:23. In the Celtics' Game 4 win, he ditched the arm sleeve but had only two points on 1/5 shooting and played 16:33.

As the defending Eastern Conference champions try to become the first team in NBA history to erase an 0-3 deficit, they'll need the reigning Sixth Man of the Year to find ways to contribute, tapping even more into the rest of his well-rounded game if his shooting continues to suffer.

Further Reading

Film Room: Grant Williams' Value on Full Display in Celtics' Game 4 Win vs. Heat

Celtics Stars Speak on Team Sticking Together Down 3-0: 'We Didn't Want That to Define Us'

Celtics Discuss Returning to Identity Best Suiting Them in Game 4 Win: 'We're a Team That Believes in Us No Matter What'

Jaylen Brown Responds to Rumors of Disconnect in Celtics Locker Room

Here's What Stood Out in Game 4 Win vs. Heat: Celtics Get Back to Defensive Identity to Save Their Season

Looking to do the Impossible, Celtics Channel Kevin Millar: 'Don't Let Us Get One'

Trading Jaylen Brown is a Gamble the Celtics are Better Off Not Making

Joe Mazzulla Takes Blame for Celtics' Getting Blown Out in Game 3 of Eastern Conference Finals: 'I Have to be Better'

Here's What Stood Out in Game 3 Loss to Heat: Celtics on Brink of Elimination After Worst Performance This Postseason

Celtics React to Letting 12-Point Lead Slip in Fourth Quarter of Game 2 Loss to Heat: 'We Let Everybody Down'

Celtics Address 'Letting Go of the Rope' After Game 1 Loss to Heat