StaTuesday: Rookie Brogdon making mark due to versatility
Through 47 games, Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon is averaging 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
Malcolm Brogdon is finally getting some recognition.
And not just for dunking on the champs.
A second-round pick of the Bucks last summer, Brogdon was named to the Young Stars Challenge last week and would be in the running for Rookie of the Year were it not for Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid.
But while Embiid is standing in the way of that prize, Brogdon is making his own mark thanks to his versatility.
Brogdon is the only second-round pick to have appeared in all of his team’s games this year, joining top picks like Brandon Ingram and Buddy Hield.
| PLAYER | GAMES | GAMES STARTED |
| Brandon Ingram, LAL | 50 | 14 |
| Domantas Sabonis, OKC | 48 | 48 |
| Malcolm Delaney, ATL | 48 | 0 |
| Buddy Hield, NOP | 48 | 28 |
| Malcolm Brogdon, MIL | 47 | 12 |
| Marquese Chriss, PHO | 47 | 40 |
| Kris Dunn, MIN | 47 | 6 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL | 46 | 29 |
| Andrew Harrison, MEM | 46 | 14 |
*Dorian Finney-Smith and Malcolm Delaney were not drafted
Brogdon is averaging 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game through 47 games, and would become just the sixth rookie in franchise history to average at least a 7/2/4 average if he can maintain that pace the rest of the way.
| SEASON | PLAYER | POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS |
| 1969-70 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 28.8 | 14.5 | 4.1 |
| 2009-10 | Brandon Jennings | 15.5 | 3.4 | 5.7 |
| 2016-17 | Malcolm Brogdon | 9.2 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
| 1976-77 | Quinn Buckner | 8.6 | 3.3 | 4.7 |
| 2003-04 | T.J. Ford | 7.1 | 3.2 | 6.5 |
| 2007-08 | Ramon Sessions | 8.1 | 3.4 | 7.5 |
He’s not going to catch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (whose transcendent rookie season is mind-boggling in this context), but Brogdon has become a crucial contributor for the Bucks despite his draft position.
When you dig down into the advanced stats his production is even more impressive.
Brogdon ranks 10th all-time amongst Bucks rookies with an offensive rating of 108, just one behind former Milwaukee star Ray Allen.
| SEASON | PLAYER | ORtg |
| 2013-14 | Miroslav Raduljica | 117 |
| 1994-95 | Eric Mobley | 116 |
| 1977-78 | Marques Johnson | 114 |
| 1979-80 | Sidney Moncrief | 113 |
| 2006-07 | Lynn Greer | 112 |
| 2005-06 | Andrew Bogut | 111 |
| 2011-12 | Jon Leuer | 111 |
| 1996-97 | Ray Allen | 109 |
| 1990-91 | Steve Henson | 109 |
| 2016-17 | Malcolm Brogdon | 108 |
| 1992-93 | Lee Mayberry | 108 |
ORtg aims to measure a player’s offensive production per 100 minutes.
For context, Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks with a 117 ORtg, while Brogdon ranks fifth.
| RANK | PLAYER | ORtg |
| 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 117 |
| 2 | Tony Snell | 115 |
| 3 | Jabari Parker | 111 |
| 4 | Greg Monroe | 110 |
| 5 | Malcolm Brogdon | 108 |
| 6 | John Henson | 108 |
Brogdon has played 1,193 minutes so far this season, which is the most by a Bucks second-round draft pick in his rookie season since Luc Mbah a Moute had 2,114 minutes in 2008-09.
Needless to say, this is looking like a good pick by Milwaukee.
