Who's the better addition - Malcolm Brogdon or Bojan Bogdanovic? Luka bounces the Lakers and James Harden drops 60 on the Hawks.
The Indiana Pacers replaced Bogdanovic with Brogdon – did they upgrade?
While both Malcolm Brogdon and Bojan Bogdanovic have stepped up their games in 2019-20 with new teams, and both could be mentioned as part of the candidate pool for NBA’s Most Improved, let’s take a minute to look at what Indiana gave up and what Indiana gained in their summer moves:
BOJAN BOGDANOVIC
MALCOLM BROGDON
Games played: 18
Games played: 15
22.1 points
18.8 points
4.4 rebounds
4.9 rebounds
2.2 assists
8.1 assists
Shooting percentage: 48.8
Shooting percentage: 46.9
Three point percentage: 46.8
Three point percentage: 31.7
FT percentage: 87.8
FT percentage: 96.3
High Game: 33 (twice – MEM, MIL)
High Game: 31 (CHA)
Brogdon’s minutes are up this season, despite an injury that sat him out for three games. He’s averaging 6.1 points per game above his career average (all three prior seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks), averaging 1.3 more rebounds and clearing four more assists per game than his three seasons with the Bucks, his first in which he netted the Rookie of the Year award.
Brogdon was brought on board for his experience, with the hopes of replacing the experience and production of Victor Oladipo in the short term. Oladipo, in 2018-19, before going down with his injury, averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists through 36 games.
Brogdon is leading the Pacers at 19.4 ppg currently, and assists at 7.9 a game, despite missing the aforementioned three games. If he continues to improve season after season, I could see him being worth the $20M per he’s getting this year, if not more, though the Pacers have first dibs.
Bogdanovic took awhile to catch on, traveling through Brooklyn (nee New Jersey), Washington, and Indiana before moving on to Utah as a free agent last summer. Through 18 games as a member of the Utah Jazz, Boji has also upped his career numbers by 8.4 points per game, one rebound, and 0.8 assists. The Pacers took a hit in losing Bogdanovic, along with Wesley Matthews, who is admittedly underperforming in Milwaukee.
Who got the best in this mix?
I’m going with Utah snagging Bogdanovic, though I’m still rooting for Brogdon when it comes to ‘Most Improved.’
It’s looking like Luka Doncic may have that one wrapped up already. I’ve got Brogdon third behind Doncic and Anthony Davis, in that order.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES
Denver Nuggets (13-4)
97
Sacramento Kings (8-10)
100 (OT)
Denver
Gary Harris: 25 points – three rebounds – one assist – three steals – two blocks
Jamal Murray: 15 points – four rebounds – six assists – two steals
Will Barton: 14 points – 12 rebounds – five assists – two steals
Sacramento
Harrison Barnes: 30 points – five rebounds – one assist – two steals
Buddy Hield: 21 points – three rebounds – seven assists – two steals – one block
Richaun Holmes: 13 points – 10 rebounds – two assists – one steal – one block
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Indiana Pacers (12-7)
116
Philadelphia 76ers (14-6)
119
Indiana
T.J. Warren: 29 points – four rebounds – one assist – one steal
Malcolm Brogdon: 28 points – four rebounds – six assists – one steal
Jeremy Lamb: 15 points – four rebounds – five assists – one steal – one block
Philadelphia
Joel Embiid: 32 points – 11 rebounds – four assists – two steals – one block
#VFL Tobias Harris: 22 points – four rebounds – two assists – one block
Ben Simmons: 15 points – six rebounds – 13 assists – four steals – one block
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Atlanta Hawks (4-16)
111
Houston Rockets (13-6)
158
Atlanta
Trae Young: 37 points – three rebounds – seven assists
De’Andre Hunter: 14 points – five rebounds – one assist – one steal
Alex Len: 12 points – one rebound – 0 assists
Houston
James Harden: 60 points – eight rebounds – eight assists – three steals – one block
Ben McLemore: 24 points – 13 rebounds – one assist – one steal
Chris Clemons: 16 points – 0 rebounds – 0 assists
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Charlotte Hornets (8-13)
96
Milwaukee Bucks (17-3)
137
Charlotte
Devonte’ Graham: 24 points – four rebounds – five assists
Terry Rozier: 19 points – six rebounds – two assists – two steals
Miles Bridges: 15 points – eight rebounds – two assists
Milwaukee
Giannis Antetokuonmpo: 26 points – nine rebounds – four assists – one steal
Khris Middleton: 15 points – four rebounds – three assists – one steal
Wesley Matthews: 14 points – three rebounds – 0 assists
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SUNDAY’S GAMES
Miami Heat (14-5)
109
Brooklyn Nets (10-10)
106
Miami
Goran Dragic: 24 points – two rebounds – six assists
Jimmy Butler: 20 points – seven rebounds – two assists – one steal – one block
Bam Adebayo: 17 points – six rebounds – one assist – one steal – one block
Brooklyn
Spencer Dinwiddie: 29 points – six rebounds – four assists – one steal – one block
Joe Harris: 25 points – four rebounds – one assist
DeAndre Jordan: 15 points – eight rebounds – two assists – one steal
Memphis Grizzlies (6-13)
115
Minnesota Timberwolves (10-9)
107
Memphis
Dillon Brooks: 26 points – two rebounds – three assists
Grayson Allen: 13 points – five rebounds – 0 assists – one steal
Bruno Cabloco: 12 points – 13 rebounds – one assist – three steals
Minnesota
Karl-Anthony Towns: 21 points – 12 rebounds – five assists
Andrew Wiggins: 18 points – six rebounds – seven assists – one steal – two blocks
Jarrett Culver: 14 points – seven rebounds – one assist – one steal
Boston Celtics (14-5)
113
New York Knicks (4-16)
104
Boston
Jayson Tatum: 30 points – six rebounds – seven assists – two steals – two blocks
Jaylen Brown: 28 points – five rebounds – one assist – one steal – one block
Kemba Walker: 16 points – five rebounds – 10 assists – one steal
New York
Julius Randle: 26 points – five rebounds – two assists
Dennis Smith, Jr.: 17 points – one rebound – seven assists – two blocks
R.J. Barrett: 16 points – seven rebounds – 0 assists – one steal – one block
Dallas Mavericks (13-6)
114
Los Angeles Lakers (17-3)
100
Dallas
Luka Doncic: 27 points – nine rebounds – 10 assists – three steals
Delon Wright: 17 points – five rebounds – nine assists – four steals
Dwight Powell: 15 points – nine rebounds – 0 assists – one steal
Los Angeles
Anthony Davis: 27 points – 10 rebounds – two assists – one steal – two blocks
LeBron James: 25 points – nine rebounds – eight assists – four steals
Alex Caruso: 10 points – four rebounds – one assist
Oklahoma City Thunder (8-11)
107
New Orleans Pelicans (6-14)
104
Oklahoma City
Danilo Gallinari: 23 points – 11 rebounds – three assists
Steven Adams: 17 points – 10 rebounds – two assists – one steal – two blocks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 17 points – nine rebounds – two assists – one steal
New Orleans
Jrue Holiday: 26 points – three rebounds – four assists
Brandon Ingram: 20 points – seven rebounds – four assists – two blocks
Lonzo Ball: 14 points – four rebounds – seven assists – one block
San Antonio Spurs (7-14)
98
Detroit Pistons (7-13)
132
San Antonio
DeMar DeRozan: 20 points – four rebounds – two assists – one steal
Lonnie Walker IV: 13 points – two rebounds – two assists – one steal
Rudy Gay: 12 points – three rebounds – 0 assists – one steal – two blocks
Detroit
Christian Wood: 28 points – 10 rebounds – two assists – one steal – one block
Luke Kennard: 20 points – four rebounds – three assists
Bruce Brown, Jr.: 13 points – seven rebounds – three assists
Golden State Warriors (4-17)
96
Orlando Magic (8-11)
100
Golden State
Glenn Robinson III: 19 points – three rebounds – one assist – one block
Eric Paschall: 17 points – six rebounds – two assists
Alec Burks: 15 points – five rebounds – three assists – three steals
Orlando
Evan Fournier: 32 points – three rebounds – 0 assists – one steal
Terrence Ross: 19 points – four rebounds – one assist – one steal – one block
Jonathan Isaac: 14 points – 11 rebounds – 0 assists – one steal – five blocks
Utah Jazz (12-8)
110
Toronto Raptors (15-4)
130
Utah
Mike Conley: 20 points – three rebounds – two assists – one block
Jeff Green: 198 points – three rebounds – 0 assists – two steals
Donovan Mitchell: 16 points – one rebound – four assists – one steal
Toronto
Pascal Siakam: 35 points – five rebounds – five assists – two steals
Fred VanVleet: 25 points – five rebounds – 11 assists – one steal
Norman Powell: 15 points – five rebounds – three assists – four steals
Washington Wizards (6-12)
125
Los Angeles Clippers (15-6)
150
Washington
Rui Hachimura: 30 points – nine rebounds – three assists – one steal
Bradley Beal: 23 points – five rebounds – 11 assists – two steals
Davis Bertans: 20 points – four rebounds – one assist – two steals – one block
Los Angeles
Kawhi Leonard: 34 points – six rebounds – three assists – one steal
Paul George: 31 points – eight rebounds – one assist – one block
Montrezl Harrell: 23 points – 15 rebounds – one assist – one steal – one block
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Los Angeles Lakers (17-3) .850
Milwaukee Bucks (17-3) .850
Denver Nuggets (13-4) .765
Toronto Raptors (15-4) .789
Los Angeles Clippers (15-6) .714
Miami Heat (14-5) .737
Dallas Mavericks (13-6) .684
Boston Celtics (14-5) .737
Houston Rockets (13-6) .684
Philadelphia 76ers (14-6) .700
Utah Jazz (12-8) .600
Indiana Pacers (12-7) .632
Minnesota Timberwolves (10-9) .526
Brooklyn Nets (10-10) .500
Phoenix Suns (8-10) .444
Orlando Magic (8-11) .421
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The Rundown w/T-Money is a daily column “all things NBA” that will run through the entirety of the season, and the playoffs through the NBA Finals Tracy Graven is a Senior Analyst for BackSportsPage.com. He has written the NBA for the last two decades and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage. He’s spent 20 years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City. He currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife and five children. Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
