NBA Notebook: How Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon shared the Celtics' backcourt

Brad Stevens called Marcus Smart and Derrick White within one hour of the most consequential trade of last summer. 

The Celtics had dealt Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis, three additional players and a first-round pick to the Pacers for Malcolm Brogdon, Indiana's star guard who had started his last 210 games over four seasons. Brogdon later revealed that as he weighed his options between the Celtics, Raptors and other destinations, Stevens made it clear he would come off the bench. Upon his arrival, it seemed feasible Brogdon could compete with Smart for a role, and in short order Smart tweeted goodbye to his traded teammates without welcoming Brogdon to Boston. Smart, this week, revealed conversations the group had that settled the uncertainty of that moment. 

"All three of us, we've all sat down and talked and we all let each other know, 'We're all here to win and that's our main goal.' We're going to sacrifice, whatever that means to reach that," Smart said. "We understand that we, all three, can't play at the same time, there's not enough minutes. We understand that some of us might be on the court for a good period of time together, but somebody's gotta go to the bench and we understand that if that happens, it's nothing personal, we're trying to win and it's for the betterment of the team. When you've got guys that buy into the system and understand what we're trying to reach, it's easy to get along and it's easy to strive to be able to make it (work), especially going into the playoffs." 

Soon, Smart said he loved the move, but that question of how Joe Mazzulla balances the minutes between his three starting-caliber guards lingers as the largest for the Celtics entering a critical postseason. The trio thrived in the regular season, Smart manned point guard through a 21-5 start and played regularly in the few crunch times they faced. White emerged next to him as a starter and likely All-Defensive First Team guard. Brogdon embraced a bench role that made him a finalist for the sixth man of the year award. Stevens said at the time of the trade that the Celtics couldn't stand pat while the rest of the league improved and he felt Boston needed to address its playmaking at the trade deadline. White handled it amicably. For Brogdon, the shift away from starting and toward playing time like in Saturday's game took time.

Brogdon often joined Smart to close games in the regular season, 31 games for 156 minutes in fourth quarters (-6.7 net rating), and received ample ball-handling duties with a second unit that scorched through the opening weeks of the season. White became the accepting and easy choice to scale back on as the interim head coach ingratiated himself to his new team. White and Smart shared the floor for 138 minutes in the fourth (+10.5). Smart started 61 games, with ankle, neck and other ailments freeing up larger opportunities for teammates, so White and Brogdon played in 50 fourth quarters (-2.9), though Brogdon remained on the bench all year. Many of those decisions arrived naturally. 

"I didn't know what it would be like," Brogdon said. "I was all for (coming off the bench), am all for it, and I knew it would be a very fluid situation. For me, it's about understanding that, embracing it and continuing to embrace it for 82 games and in the playoffs. I feel like that's what I've done, that's what I've tried to do to the best of my ability. As far as the rest of the team, as far as us being successful, this is exactly what I thought. I thought we'd be coming to a championship team, and that's what we have here." 

Brogdon's new role allowed him to ease off the strain of previous seasons, including his final year with the Pacers where an Achilles injury limited him to 36 games. Only rest prevented him from doubling that total this year, Brogdon reaching 67 games with no major injuries suffered and raving throughout the season about how he felt physically due to his reduced minutes and workload. He averaged 26 minutes, his fewest since his rookie season, slashed his shot total by nearly five per game compared to last year and unloaded wide-open threes, allowing him to shoot 44.4% from deep. 

Nobody sacrificed more than Brogdon to make the backcourt work, motivated by losing seasons in Indiana where he tried to lead his own team and didn't see it go as planned. He developed a sense for when to turn up his aggressiveness by the end of the season, shooting 19 times in last week's win over the Raptors to score 29 points. He led the Celtics with 26 points in a short-handed effort at the Bucks in February, and scored at least 20 in narrow losses to the Knicks, Rockets and Cavaliers to begin March while Boston rested, dealt with injuries and mid-season stagnancy. Game 1 on Saturday presented a new challenge for the backcourt players to manage their approach roles and how they connect on the court. Brogdon accepted 21 minutes in the playoff opener against Atlanta on Saturday, shooting 1-for-6, allowing White and Smart to lead the win. 

"This season, I had no clue how it would evolve," he said. "You have three starts vying for two positions at the end of the day. I think game-by-game, it's going to change, like it has throughout the season. I expect it to be that way and whoever has it going, whoever is in the game while there are big runs, that's really who should be on the floor." 

White became that run-starter, finishing +41 against his former Spurs team in March. Mazzulla admitted to underplaying White in late-game situations during March as the Celtics outscored opponents by 11 points per 100 possessions this season during his time on the floor. White got excited when he heard Boston added Brogdon, a player he hated to guard, and he went to work shutting down the other perimeter scorers around the league, holding opponents to 44.4% shooting in his individual matchups and blocking 76 shots, a top mark among guards. Between that and his scoring and shooting upside, White performed the best among the group of guards he once looked certain to sit in crunch time in support of. White offers that willingness, but Mazzulla twice pushed him toward 40-minute games in April in anticipation of what would come. They want White to play aggressive. 

With Brogdon and White showing their security in reduced roles during the regular season, the focus turns toward Smart after a difficult season where he finished shooting 40.4% from the field and 34.1% from three after the all-star break. Prioritizing rest allowed him to reach closer to 100% health than he had in years, an important development after his right ankle injury, aggravated many times over, appeared to bother him at the end of the winter. 

The team returned to extended ball time for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Smart's absence, and the offense struggled to regain to the formations where he led offensive sets late in the year. Fewer catches in the pocket. Fewer Smart-led pick and rolls. His drives per game fell from 7.4 before the break to 6.8 after dribbling downhill 8.7 times per night in 2022. 

"His pace on the offensive end, when he gets out early and navigates our early offense, we're a dynamic team, so he's done a great job of that," Mazzulla said. "Then just continuing to be solid on the defensive end, which he always has been, guarding different guys and he has the ability to really communicate and be the quarterback of our defense when he's at his best." 

Teams already try to funnel the ball toward Smart for open three-point shots and while Smart fits the team's five-out mold through great outlet passes, box-outs, offensive positioning and his always-intelligent crunch time intangibles likely make him a crunch time shoo-in more often than not. See his intentional free throw miss that set White up for a three against Philadelphia in their recent loss at the Sixers. Brogdon sacrificed again that night, playing 28 minutes to allow White to garner 40 and Smart to close. The playoffs feel like go time for Brogdon, who can break games open with his pull-up shooting and feed teammates through his ample number of drives. 

Mazzulla tried to allow for that by balancing their minutes evenly, Smart averaging 31 minutes, White 29 and Brogdon 28 after the break. They sparingly joined the court together in three-guard lineups (25 mins., -41.4), nixing that as a solution. So every night, Mazzulla will need to choose, communicate to his veterans through difficult losses inevitable this time of year and eventually make the decision Ime Udoka did to start the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals -- sitting Smart down for an extended stretch if White and Brogdon roll. Fortunately, Smart sounds ready to accept it.

"They all play 30-36 minutes, depending upon the matchup, depending how they're playing," Mazzulla said. "They've all done a great job, regardless of the sub patterns, regardless of what's going on, they've done a great job of just being ready to play in different ways. It's a luxury to have all three, because you can attack in different ways, and all three of them bring a different dynamic defensively as well." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week... 

Atlanta (41-41): Atlanta's players lauded a clean slate at practice this week, and their .500 pace would actually be a good thing against a dynamic Boston team that's adept at exposing mismatches like Trae Young. The Hawks did a great job keeping Young out of those situations against Miami, though, and Atlanta under Quin Snyder produced more points per 100 possessions than the Celtics did over the last quarter of the season. There's more competitiveness here than their record shows, but the same could've been said about them all season.

Boston (57-25): Jaylen Brown (hand) played after two practices that featured him tentatively handling the ball with his right hand. The cut split open on Saturday, forcing Brown to leave the game and receive a new bandage before returning. Brown said he'd wear something on that right index finger, which he cut picking up glass from a flower vase, after the team's medical staff removed the five stitches he received for the cut on Thursday. ... Joe Mazzulla receive finalist status for coach of the year and Malcolm Brogdon made the final three candidate field for sixth man of the year.

Brooklyn (45-37): Nightmare matchup lines them against MVP front-runner Joel Embiid in round one, losing the opener, 121-101 after competing for three quarters. Nic Claxton fronted the big man with aggressive helps and an array of looks, but this team looks similarly ill-equipped to last year's Raptors at defending Embiid, who only improved this year. Mikal Bridges' playoff debut as a star, scoring 30 points after averaging 26.1 PPG on 47.5% shooting in 27 games with the Nets, was a fun story after he completed an 83-game season, thanks to the timing of his trade from Phoenix. The feat had been done 41 times before surprisingly, last by Josh Smith during the 2014-15 season. Spencer Dinwiddie, his backcourt partner, strangely sparred with Kyle Kuzma this week. 

Charlotte (27-55): Receive a 12.5% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 48.1% chance at a top-four selection as the fourth-worst team in the league. An ownership change looms, with Michael Jordan reportedly looking to sell his majority share, and they face a difficult decision on Miles Bridges' future after he plead no-contest to domestic violence charges, missed the entire 2022-23 season and remains in restricted free agency. The NBA suspended Bridges for 30 games on Friday, considering 20 served during the lost season, meaning he'll miss only 10 games to begin next year if signed, a puzzling decision sure to raise questions about the severity with which it addresses domestic violence. The Hornets sent mixed signals on a return.

Chicago (40-42): Defeated the Raptors, 109-105, in a play-in game where Toronto missed 18 free throws while DeMar DeRozan's daughter Diar screeched during attempts from the front row. The fun story turned sour within two days, with Jimmy Butler and the Heat blasting the Bulls on a 15-1 run after reports revealed Diar needed a security escort to the team bus in Toronto after receiving threats. DeRozan's future, entering the summer extension-eligible, Nikola Vucevic's free agency and Lonzo Ball's recovery cast a long path toward success for this group that struggled all year to find an identity. Splitting up DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who reportedly didn't always align this year could be a start. Their first-round pick (1-4 prot.) goes to Orlando. Billy Donovan and LaVine signed long-term extensions before the season. They look locked into mediocrity. 

Cleveland (51-31): Finished No. 8 in offense and No. 1 in defense, posting the second-best net rating in the NBA behind the Celtics. They face a difficult path to the Finals, starting with a Knicks team that beat them in 3-of-4 regular-season meetings and 101-97 in Game 1. Donovan Mitchell entered as a favorite to make the All-NBA First Team, with a glistening playoff résumé that includes 31.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 5.3 APG on 45.9% shooting over his last three appearances. This is a young and relatively inexperienced group at the playoff level, with the rest of its starting lineup lacking a single series win in their careers, but they shouldn't get ruled out as an East finals contender. Evan Mobley, their most important player for extending their postseason, made the defensive player of the year finalists. 

Dallas (38-44): Fined $750,000 by the NBA for their baffling benching of key players during the final week of the season to fall into the No. 10 slot in the lottery, rather than the No. 10 seed they only trailed the Thunder by 1.0 game for. The Mavericks seemingly alienated Luka Dončić, sent Christian Wood and Kyrie Irving into free agency as losers after they joined Dallas looking to win and put head coach Jason Kidd in a difficult position to simply improve their chance of keeping a mid-round draft pick. 

Denver (53-29): Is anyone picking the No. 1 seed in the west, who led the conference all season, with the NBA MVP or runner-up in Nikola Jokić to make the NBA Finals? John Hollinger did, but I don't see a ton of love for this group that enters the playoffs healthy with Jokić playing better than he did one year ago and Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. available. Denver lost 8-of-15 after the all-star break and fell to 20th in offense over that stretch, resting over the final several games in what could set up a sleepy entrance to the playoffs against a capable Minnesota team. 

Detroit (17-65): Fired head coach Dwane Casey after five seasons where he finished 121-263, including this season where the injured Pistons fell to last in the NBA in what originally looked like a chance to take steps following Cade Cunningham's rise. Casey will move to the team's front office alongside GM Troy Weaver, who retained his job. The new coach, who'll manage Cunningham's return to the lineup and possibly get a chance to integrate Victor Wembanyama to one of the league's youngest teams, could be Bucks assistant Charles Lee, long a highly-regarded candidate. An interesting choice emerged in former University of Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie. Weaver said he wants a defensive head coach. 

Golden State (44-38): Hard to not like their experience, eight wins over their final 10 games and Andrew Wiggins' return, throwing down a casual 360 dunk as he stood in practice. He went on to shoot 1-for-8 from deep in his first game in months, missing a crucial late look in the Warriors' Game 1 loss, 126-123, of a fascinating matchup between high-powered offenses and western conference royalty of old and new. Golden State was favored in the series despite entering as the No. 6 seed, respect for their tightened rotation, Steph Curry and Steve Kerr against his old assistant coach Mike Brown. That experience also informed Brown, whose team struggled to guard all season, about what the Warriors may try to run, ways to attack their defense that struggled mightily on the road and comfort as underdogs. Could the Warriors return to Finals contention? They did last year after an uneven regular season -- and Gary Payton II is back too. 

Houston (22-60): Separated with head coach Stephen Silas after his contract expired at the end of this season, ending a difficult run for the promising long-time assistant after his tenure began with the turmoil of the James Harden trade. The Rockets will interview Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson for the position, who once jump-started the Nets' rebuild and backed out of his plan to become the Hornets' head coach last summer to coach Golden State again. Sam Cassell, the former Celtics guard and current 76ers assistant, joined the mix as well as former Lakers champion head coach Frank Vogel. Boston will get a chance to receive their second-round pick, decided by the inverse of a coin flip that'll determine the team's spot in the lottery. If the Spurs pick No. 32, then the Celtics will receive the No. 33 overall pick, and if not, they'll draft at No. 35 (from Portland). 

Indiana (35-47): Received a 29% chance to pick top-four and a 6% chance to earn the top pick. GM Kevin Pritchard called the team ahead of schedule and itching to improve, with $25 million in cap space to utilize in a market without significant money. Tyrese Haliburton's emergence sped up their rebuild and placed the Pacers in the playoff picture before a string of injuries, including Haliburton's, sent them back into the lottery. Haliburton, who'll likely just miss All-NBA status, will be involved in the building process after averaging 20.7 PPG and 10.4 APG on 49% shooting. 

Clippers (44-38): A strange year for everyone here could end early if the Suns fulfill their status as heavy favorites in round one against LA. An epic duel between Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard awaits, with the series also pitting long-time teammates Russell Westbrook and Durant against each other. This shouldn't finish as a quick series, even with Paul George (knee) expected to miss its entirety, but Ty Lue needs to find a tight, consistent rotation quickly against Phoenix, a team early in its new foundation yet certain in who it needs to play. That sets the Clippers at an immediate disadvantage. 

Lakers (43-39): Turned around from an early deficit and withstood a last-second Anthony Davis foul that tied the game to beat the Timberwolves in overtime and advance as the No. 7 seed. Davis thrived in his return to the postseason after a two-year absence, scoring 24 points with 15 rebounds while LeBron James scored 30 points and grabbed 10 boards. Their hard-charging style enters an intriguing series against the Grizzlies with a chance to put Jaren Jackson Jr. on the bench in foul trouble. Health, energy and depth all emerge as questions for LA against a Memphis team that feasted on Minnesota's mistakes last year in its round one victory. The Lakers made many against the Wolves. I don't see a Finals team here, but they could win this series if their core remains available and playing at a high level. Memphis enters with several key injuries.

Memphis (51-31): Concerns are mounting with Steven Adams (knee) expected to miss the season, Brandon Clarke already out with a torn Achilles and Ja Morant regaining his pre-suspension form, finishing his final eight games with 20.0 PPG, 7.4 APG and shooting 49.2%. The Lakers don't have any answers for an active, involved Morant, and depth is always a strength for Memphis, who'll feature Dillon Brooks, Xavier Tillman, Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama in position to fill some of their injured teammate's minutes. Morant's off-court saga continues in the meantime.

Miami (44-38): Lost badly to the Hawks after stumbling to a 9-for-24 start in the play-in game with a chance to meet the Celtics in round one. Instead, they'll visit the Bucks after surviving the No. 8 seed play-in game, a rematch of the 2021 series where the eventual champion Milwaukee swept Miami. Giannis Antetokounmpo torched Bam Adebayo, who struggled immensely in the play-in games shooting 6-for-21, while Jimmy Butler increasingly tries to carry the entire load offensively for this team. Those efforts deserved All-NBA Second Team status, in my opinion, with his analytics rivaling even Jayson Tatum's for first team.

Milwaukee (58-24): NBA Finals favorites to many -- Giannis Antetokounmpo begins the search for ring No. 2 with questions about Khris Middleton's health lingering. Middleton (knee) practiced on Thursday after aggravating the knee that cost him one month during the winter of what became a frustrating season recovering from different ailments. Even if he can play against the Heat in Game 1 on Sunday, Grayson Allen (ankle) and Pat Connaughton (ankle) round out a banged-up group facing a tough path for a No. 1 seed. 

Minnesota (42-40): Rudy Gobert punched Kyle Anderson during the Timberwolves' regular-season finale, with Anthony Edwards closing out the win against the Pelicans without Gobert, who the team sent home, which gave Minnesota two chances to make the playoffs. 

This is a big moment for Gobert, whose trade here already landed among the most scrutinized ever after a disappointing season, and Towns, who continues to stack up an inconsistent playoff profile. Denver isn't a bad matchup. 

New Orleans (42-40): The most stunning result of the 2022-23 season. A team that dreamt of the NBA Finals on Dec. 31 as the No. 2 seed lost Zion Williamson to a hamstring injury days later and never saw him on the court again. Williamson, who threw down dunks before the team's play-in loss to the Thunder after finishing the year 19-27 and falling to the No. 9 seed, admitted mental roadblocks challenged him in his return to the floor rather than physical ones, which subsided before the do-or-die game. GM David Griffin, left without even the once-promising Lakers pick swap now, placed partial blame on Williamson for the team's fate. 

“I think a big part is on him," he told Nola.com. "think there is a lot he can do better. And he would, I think, tell you that. I think we need to do a better job examining the whole situation top to bottom a little bit better.”

New York (47-35): Julius Randle (ankle) rested in the week leading up to the Knicks' highly-anticipated playoff series against former trade target Donovan Mitchell and the Knicks. He scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Game 1, returning to play through the ailment that left him out of the team's lineup since Mar. 29 and leading a 101-97 road win. Jalen Brunson already proved the x-factor with a 48-point effort in the Knicks' last win over Cleveland, adding 27 more in 29 minutes on Saturday. A different Mitchell awaits in the playoffs, scoring 38 points in the loss, while Randle averaged 18.0 PPG on 29.8% shooting in his only postseason appearance in 2021. Their play will decide which way the series swings from this point on. 

Oklahoma City (40-42): Took a larger step forward than any of their fellow rebuilding teams this year by regularly stunning good teams, the Pelicans the final among them behind a 63-point effort for Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who looks likely to make the All-NBA First Team. Their elimination game loss to the Timberwolves showed their need for interior size, largely playing without a natural center following the Mike Muscala trade. Chet Holmgren's return and another lottery pick, likely No. 11, set them up for another step next year, but the youngest team in NBA history also needs to start securing some veteran presences to guide their core pieces toward high-level winning. They're getting closer. 

Orlando (34-48): Exceeded expectations and Paolo Banchero ran away with the rookie of the year award. They also saw steps from Markelle Fultz and Jalen Suggs worth following into the summer. Their ample cap space sets them up to make a splash, with Fred VanVleet previously rumored as the name to watch. He may not be an ideal addition at the price he'd command to come to Orlando, but adding rather than losing talent is a welcome change for the Magic that will start to face those kinds of difficult decisions when Fultz hits free agency following next season.

Philadelphia (54-28): The debate is almost over and Joel Embiid seems like he'll inevitably claim that long-coveted MVP award. Did he leave enough in the tank for a more critical trophy chase? We'll find out weeks from now, because they drew a favorable round-one matchup against a Brooklyn team that barely has enough personnel to stand in front of him.

Phoenix (45-37): Can't wait to watch them and they'll receive an immediate test against the wing-heavy Clippers and Kawhi Leonard entering his first playoff action since 2021. Kevin Durant averaged 26.0 PPG on 57% shooting in his first eight games with the team, all wins, and he enters the playoffs as a winner in 21 of his last 22 games going back to the win streak that preceded his injury in Brooklyn. He's the forgotten league MVP candidate alongside the three big men who finished as finalists while Devin Booker and Chris Paul also quietly closed the season hot. They're the under-discussed championship favorite, if healthy. Game 1 tips off at 8 EST. 

Portland (33-49): Hold everything until we see if they acquire Victor Wembanyama, with a 10.5% chance to do so following another epic late-season tank. He wouldn't solve everything, but it'd place them much closer to the playoffs than even an All-NBA level year from Damian Lillard could provide. Without improvements or lottery luck, this could mark the end of the Lillard era despite his many defiant interviews regarding his desire to make this situation work. Lillard's tone on his future shifted slightly in an interview with Stephen A. Smith this week. 

“I ain’t gonna say I’m putting them on the clock,” he said. "I’m just saying if those things can’t be done — if we can’t do something significant like that — then we won’t have a chance to compete on that level. And then, not only will I have a decision to make, but I think the organization will, too. Because at that point, it’s like, ‘Are you gonna go young, or are we gonna get something done?’ I think we just kinda been on the fence with fully committing to either one. I just think we at that point now where everybody wants to win. They believe I deserve that opportunity.”

Sacramento (48-34): Hard to ignore the defense despite posting the most efficient per-100 season in NBA history. They can't go overlooked, even against a tough round one draw in the defending champion Warriors. Golden State won 3-of-4 meetings during the regular season and only tanking teams finished with worse defensive ratings than Sacramento's 24th-ranked unit. Guarding the motion offense the Warriors employ won't absolve this group and even a competitive loss in round one won't suffice to make this season memorable, even for the playoff-starved fans. De'Aaron Fox delivered with 38 points in Game 1 and Malik Monk added 32 off the bench, becoming the first former college teammates to unite for that kind of scoring night as an NBA duo, lighting the beam for the raucous playoff crowd.  

San Antonio (22-60): Gregg Popovich, counting down the final 48 minutes of his worst season as head coach, hasn't made any indication he won't return to the team for a 27th season. With a 14% chance to draft Victor Wembanyama, why not wait? 

Toronto (41-41): Faded out of the play-in tournament as expected after a bizarre season capped by a turbulent final few weeks where Nick Nurse said he'd consider his future after the season. The Raptors didn't let him go following their loss to the Bulls in the play-in tournament, but reportedly did not appreciate the public comments leaving his future up in the air. 

Utah (37-45): Had a great season and maintain a 20% chance of moving up, with their future Timberwolves draft selections already looking enticing. They'll need to decide the future of Jordan Clarkson among other veterans as youth development rises up among their priorities. Trades like Mike Conley's, which could happen with someone like Kelly Olynyk this summer, position them in a more difficult spot to compete next year. Look to their tough Kris Dunn-led efforts against the Lakers late in the year to see how adaptable Will Hardy proved in year one. The future is bright. 

Washington (35-47): They're weighing locking into a Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma core that hardly made a single noise this year, and their season concluded in the lottery with Kuzma going on one of the strangest Twitter rants against a rival in NBA history. The Wembanyama bailout exists for them as it does many other middling teams that turned toward the lottery, but this was one strange year for them.