Malcolm Brogdon was willing to wait for the perfect fit.
It came when he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA Draft last month.
Brogdon, the Greater Atlanta Christian product, was selected with the 36th pick after a stellar career at Virginia. The guard was the ACC Player of the Year, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-American and a finalist for the Naismith Award. The impressive list of credentials made the possibility of being drafted in the first round a real possibility.
Still, Brogdon waited as the names of 35 others were read before his named called.
“Draft day was a lot anxiety for me,” Brogdon said this week after making his professional debut with the Bucks’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League. “The Bucks were in my top three best fits from Day 1. So landing with them in the beginning of the second round was perfect for me. Everybody wants to go in the first round. That’s ideal. But if you can go the perfect team in the second round, I’d chose that any day.”
Brogdon worked out for his hometown Hawks before the draft. After workouts for numerous teams, he said he realized the Bucks — along with the Spurs and Warriors — were ideal landing locations.
Brogdon got his professional career off to a good start. He had nine points, 11 rebounds and three assists for the Bucks in an 81-75 victory over the Cavaliers in their summer league opener Friday.
“I thought it was a good debut for me,” Brogdon said. “I made a few mistakes, shot a few air balls. I thought I got the jitters out. I thought I did some good things running the point guard. I thought I defended. I tried to pick up full court. I thought I had a well-rounded game. That’s what I’m known for. I thought I did that. I imposed my will on the defensive end.”
Brogdon acknowledged having some nerves in his first game. He said the biggest adjustment to playing professionally is the tempo.
The 23-year-old said the Bucks are looking for him to bring leadership and experience to the summer league.
“They want me to lead,” Brogdon said. “They want me to be vocal. They want me to have us to have guys in the right spots. They want me imposing my will on the defensive end. I think that’s huge. Other than that, they want me making open shots and making sure we win. I think winning games is my biggest asset, knowing how to win.”
The Bucks continue their opening-round games of the summer league against the D-League Select Team on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (ET).
