Malcolm Brogdon Explains What Caused Boston Celtics to Miss 2023 NBA Finals

Celtics fall one win shy of a historic comeback and a return trip to the NBA Finals.

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics came up short in a dramatic Eastern Conference Finals series. Game 7, a 103-84 loss to the Miami Heat, left questions about what went wrong.

Malcolm Brogdon suggested that the loss of a defensive identity led to Boston’s shortcoming.

"I don't think you win championships with a better offense than you do a defense... on any given night we'd let go of the rope."

Malcolm Brogdon on Celtics not being able to find their defensive identity pic.twitter.com/EbjLGGiPAr

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 30, 2023

"It was the issue," Brogdon said, as captured by NBC Sports Boston. "This was a team last year that prided themselves on defense. Defense was their calling card. And then this year, offense was our calling card, and I don’t think you win championships with the better offense than you have defense.”

Though the Celtics held the second-best defensive rating during the regular season, this success didn’t transfer to their postseason match-ups. Boston’s defense finished tenth among sixteen playoff teams.

Brogdon expanded on his analysis of the Celtics’ playoff elimination.

"We were the best offensive team in the league, for sure. You talk about the ways we can score, our versatility on offense, really one through seven or eight. I thought we had the versatility and the talent defensively, but on any given night, we just let go of the rope and had a lot of breakdowns on that end.”

Boston’s two primary scorers, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, combined for 33 points in Game 7. Besides Tatum and Brown, Derrick White was the only other Celtic to score into the double-digits.

A prevalent issue on offense came from deep range. The Celtics made nine of 42 three-point shots, with eight misses coming from Brown.

Brodgon explained how the breakdown of offense can lead to failure on defense.

“We talk all the time about ball movement and player movement. Sort of having a free-flowing offense and trusting each other. When we’re not playing well offensively and shots aren’t falling, I think we lose trust. I think that’s how the game works. But I think we lose trust and it shows, and then we have more breakdowns on defense because we’re not making shots, because we stopped moving the ball. Then defensively it shows as well.”

Though Brogdon registered seven minutes in Game 7, he was bothered by a partial tendon tear in his right elbow. The injury occurred in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals, when Brogdon tried to box out Kevin Love.

The 2023 Sixth Man of the Year said after Sunday's loss that he's contemplating having the tear surgically repaired.

Further Reading

With Partnership at Crossroads, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum Discuss Former's Future with Celtics

Celtics Discuss Trying to Overcome Jayson Tatum's Ankle Injury in Game 7 Loss to Heat: 'A Shell of Myself'

Here's What Stood Out in Game 7 Loss to Heat: Celtics Come Up Small, Enter Offseason of Uncertainty

Jaylen Brown Reacts to Historic Run Against Miami Heat in Eastern Conference Finals

Derrick White Discusses Season-Saving Buzzer Beater: 'Now It's on to Game 7'

The Celtics Could've Folded and Flamed Out, Instead, They're Inching Closer to History: 'We're Not Going Down Like This'

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'

Jaylen Brown Responds to Rumors of Disconnect in Celtics Locker Room