Brogdon eager to prove himself against best
Washington – Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked recently about the play of guard Malcolm Brogdon.
“You mean the President?” Antetokounmpo said.
That’s a friendly nickname some of the Bucks players are calling the rookie, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Sunday.
Instead of a gradual introduction to the NBA game, Brogdon has enjoyed playing meaningful minutes right away. The cerebral point guard has embraced the challenges that come from facing some of the league’s best on a nightly basis.
On Saturday it was Washington’s John Wall and the other night it was Portland’s Damian Lillard. In Toronto on Monday night it will be the red-hot Kyle Lowry of the Raptors.
But to get an idea of Brogdon’s approach to his first year in the NBA, consider this. He recently walked into Bucks coach Jason Kidd’s office and asked to guard a certain player on another team.
“There have been a few guys,” Brogdon said. “Kawhi Leonard was one of them.
“There are guys every night who are really good players. I love to take on the challenges.”
Brogdon asking to guard San Antonio’s versatile Leonard is a challenge of the first order. It had to make Kidd smile.
“He just knows how to play,” Kidd said of the former University of Virginia guard. “There’s no panic in his game.
“He’s not afraid of the moment. He’s not afraid to come into the coach’s office and ask if he can guard some of the star players down the stretch.
“Just maturity-wise, he’s ahead of a lot of guys.”
Brogdon ranks sixth among league rookies in scoring (7.9-point average) and fourth in assists (2.8 per game) while ranking first in three-point percentage (46.9%) and free throw percentage (92%).
He had 12 points and four assists in 28 minutes Friday against Atlanta and followed with 11 points and two assists in 20 minutes Saturday against Washington.
Brogdon was not taken until the 36th pick in the draft but was happy to go to Milwaukee because he thought he would have a chance to play right away.
“I’m just happy he was there for us to pick because he’s helped us,” Kidd said. “When you talk about being able to run that second group — in that group everyone wants to shoot the ball, so that’s hard for a rookie to keep everybody happy.
“He does a great job with that.”
Kidd said he doesn’t like to praise rookies as a rule.
Then he laughed.
“He has that Chauncey Billups-type body; he’s a strong guard,” Kidd said. “Very poised. He’s a winner.”
Brogdon said trying to defend LeBron James was an eye-opening experience when the Bucks faced Cleveland in late November.
“He’s the best player in the world, but seeing him up close, he’s as good as advertised,” Brogdon said.
“He was definitely one guy I was like, ‘Wow, he’s really good.’”
A small group of devoted fans cheered Brogdon when the Bucks met the Wizards on Saturday at the Verizon Center, most of them wearing Virginia colors.
Brogdon was a unanimous first-team All-American as a senior at Virginia and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and league defensive player of the year.
But he knew it was a huge jump to the next level.
“I always believed I was good enough; I was always hoping so,” Brogdon said. “In college, I prided myself on defense and guarding the best player every night.
“Now I hope to continue to do the same in the NBA. They (the top pro guards) shoot the ball with such great accuracy from such long range. It makes them a great threat as soon as they pass half-court.
“But they also can put the ball on the ground and create, so it makes them really tough to guard.”
Brogdon admitted he wondered if he should approach his coach with that bold request about guarding Leonard.
“I was a little nervous, but I was ready to talk to him about it,” Brogdon said. “He responded really positively.”