Fresh off winning the Sixth Man of the Year, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard could see himself playing a more significant role next season, especially with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) missing the bulk of it, if not the entire season.
Pritchard had a breakout season, averaging career-best marks across the board: 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field. The 6-foot-1 guard only started in three games, but he played starter minutes as the Celtics’ top reserve, averaging 28.4 minutes per game.
Bumping up his scoring average is his newfound ability to create space in traffic, which Celtics’ Chronicle and Heavy’s Adam Taylor called “bump creation.”
“Haha, I like that (the term bump creation),” Pritchard told Taylor in an interview for Celtics Chronicle. “That’s something I’ve worked a lot on. Being a smaller guard, you’ve got to find ways to create separation.”
From 0.7 made field goals within 10 feet from the basket during the 2022-23 season, Pritchard has doubled that 1.4 per game this past season. The feisty Celtics guard shot an efficient 69.3% from less than 10 feet, where bigger wings and big men normally clog the paint.
“I studied guys who are great at using their body and not avoiding contact but using it to your advantage,” Pritchard added. “It’s become a part of my game that I lean on more and more. One of my coaches also recommended I read The Art of War, which got me into the mindset.”
From Sixth Man to Starter?
Getty Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics ponders his future amid trade rumors.
Pritchard could move into the starting lineup next season if the Celtics, who are in the second apron, trade veteran guard Jrue Holiday for salary cap relief.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Pritchard has become close to untouchable behind Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
“Boston is believed to be open to listening to any player on its roster not named Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown,” Fischer reported on the “Stein Line” Substack newsletter on June 12. “I’d put Payton Pritchard and Derrick White right behind those two franchise cornerstones as extremely hard-to-get as well. The Celtics would likely have to listen to any ultra-aggressive offer for this season’s Sixth Man of the Year, but Pritchard is currently projected to shoulder a significant role in Boston’s offense for the 2025-26 season.”
The Celtics have one of the best value deals in the NBA on Pritchard, who signed a four-year, $30 million rookie extension in 2023.
Payton Pritchard’s Offseason Plans
The 27-year-old point guard said he’s looking to expand his game further both on on offense and defense while refining what he already has in his tool box such as his “bump creation.” Entering his prime, Pritchard said that his offseason plan is a mix of his ideas and his coaches, a collaborative effort, to realize his full potential.
“It’s a mix,” Pritchard told Celtics Chronicle. “I talk with the coaches, watch a ton of film, and just feel it out during games. You notice what’s working, where there’s space, and where teams are adjusting, then you take that into the offseason and build from there.”
Uncertainty is the theme of the Celtics’ offseason coming off Tatum’s devastating injury and a second-round exit with their bloated payroll. But if there’s one certain thing the Celtics could bank on, look for Pritchard to improve on his breakout season.
