As the Boston Celtics continue to fend off the rest of the league in holding the top spot in the eastern conference standings, it’s clear that Malcolm Brogdon will play the key part in whether or not they return back to the finals.

Currently, the 6’4 point guard out of Virginia is averaging 13.6 points a night off the bench. The Celtics brought him on the roster during the offseason for the simple reason of bench scoring. The lack of offensive production off the bench last year is why the Celtics fell short to the Warriors in six games in the finals.

After back-to-back seven game series, the C’s star duo in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were exhausted, as most teams are at that point. However, one thing the Warriors had was Jordan Poole coming off the bench. Poole was the guy that could drop 20 points easily any night. The C’s didn’t have that. Therefore it caused the Celtics demise.

According to Statmuse.com, the Celtics lead the league in bench scoring. A big part of that was the addition of Brogdon and his ability to score. He has the ability to knock down open three’s, score off the dribble, while strong and athletic enough to finish around the rim.

He’s been shooting 43% from deep, 48% from behind the arc, and 86% from the charity strike–proving that he’s efficient and consitent.

Before Boston, Brogdon averaged around 20 points a night in Indiana. He also grabs boards and passes the ball with his natural point guard instinct. He may not be the same natural scorer Poole is, but he certainly can give out buckets when needed.

It’s just all about whether he can stay healthy.

This season, the C’s appear to be forming into their final roster. They now have center Robert Williams back from knee surgery and slowly working his way back in. Al Horford is a veteran that his pacing his way through the regular season. And of course we know what Tatum, Brown, and Marcus Smart can do.

Payton Pritchard hasn’t been playing much due to the loaded backcourt Joe Mazzulla has to play with. Derrick White is a good defender and role player, but he’s not a reliable scorer.

Brogdon is that guy that plays the X-factor for the C’s moving forward.