Draft Breakdown on Malcolm Brogdon by CBS Sports Draft Analyst
Sam Vecenie-
Malcolm Brogdon | SG | Virginia | No. 27 on the CBS Sports NBA Draft Big Board
Why he’s likely to go in the second round: There are a few different questions that NBA evaluators have about Brogdon. Mostly though, it comes back to his athleticism. Is Brogdon explosive enough athletically to be the elite defender that he was in college? Will he be able to play efficiently on offense due to that lack of athleticism at the NBA level? Can he get to the rim at all? Will he get enough elevation on his jumper to shoot it successfully? It’s also worth noting that there is some concern about Brogdon’s jumper translating to the next level, as well. He hit 39 percent of his 3s this season, but the shot has a bit of a funky release and it can get relatively flat. Plus, at 23 years old, some believe there is a possibility that when he is no longer the strongest player on the floor in the NBA, he could struggle to do things successfully.
Why he could out-perform his slot: Brogdon is one of the more mature, intelligent players in this draft, and he works incredibly hard at his craft in terms of figuring out how to make things work despite his athleticism. His feel for the game is just remarkable. He knows exactly how to run tightly off of screens in order to get open off ball, and knows exactly how to get into a guy’s grill in order to not let him get where he wants to go on the floor. He was the best defensive wing in college basketball last season, plus has an NBA-ready frame at 6-6 with a near 6-11 wingspan and weighing in at 223 pounds. Brogdon has solid skills as a secondary ball-handler, knows how to change pace with his dribble well, and he has shown that despite his mechanics he can knock down shots. The guy just knows how fall into a team concept, and seems destined to play an integral role as a wing on an NBA team.
