Malcolm Brogdon is bringing some serious playmaking to the Celtics bench

BOSTON -- It's early. Really, really early. But through two games that don't count, Malcolm Brogdon looks like the perfect fit for the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics were desperate for both production and playmaking off the bench, and Brad Stevens has found the ideal player to fill both of those needs. Brogdon's ability to make things happen has been at the forefront of his game through two exhibition games.

After dishing out nine assists in Sunday's blowout win over Charlotte in Boston's preseason opener, Brogdon followed it up Wednesday night by dishing out nine more assists in 23 minutes of the C's overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors. 

The crafty reserve guard gets it done in a number of ways. He gets to the rim with ease and has the vision to find anyone open on the wing. Sam Hauser had the hot hand Wednesday night, and a lot of it had to do with Brogdon finding the sharpshooter when he was open. Brogdon assisted on four of Hauser's five triples Wednesday night, including one at the end of the first quarter:

That kind of vision is huge for a team that is suddenly chock-fill of three-point threats. And if Brogdon and Hauser -- two former UVA guys -- can bring that kind of connection to Boston's second unit, the Celtics will still be a dangerous team when Jayson Tatum and/or Jaylen Brown take a seat on the bench.

First-year head coach Joe Mazzulla even entrusted the offense to Brogdon for a few minutes when Tatum and Brown were BOTH on the bench to start the second quarter. Boston's lead went from seven points to 12 before Tatum checked back in, thanks to Brogdon's creativity. After sinking a pair of freebies to start the quarter, Brogdon found Grant Williams underneath for an easy deuce and then hunted down Hauser for another three, putting his fingerprints all over Boston's 7-0 run to start the frame.

And then there were his unselfish finds like this one, when Brogdon dished it to Tatum on the fast break for an entertaining two points:

He could have had two easy points -- which would have made his 1-for-6 shooting line look slightly better -- but he's a giver. And he's willing to give to anyone that is open.

It seems like it doesn't matter who Brogdon plays with; the Celtics are going to have a lot of bounce and a lot of energy on offense whenever he's on the floor. He is the anti-Schroder, getting the Boston offense flowing and in motion as soon as he touches the ball.

Brogdon should fit perfectly as the super bench producer that Stevens tabbed him as when picking him (and his big price tag) up from the Pacers in July. He's brought energy and creativity off the bench, and that was in two preseason games. Imagine the scoring flurries that Brogdon will help create when the games start to count, not to mention the havoc that he and Marcus Smart could wreak on opponents out of the backcourt.

Yes, it's early. Very early. And it would be fair to point out that at one point in the early goings of 2020, the Celtics were excited about the premature returns from one Jeff Teague.

But Brogdon is a completely different beast. He can score. He can dish. And he can get everyone running on offense.

That's exactly what the Celtics needed when they fell two wins short of a title last season. Now they have it all in Brogdon.