The Boston Celtics have been zipping through the 2024 NBA Playoffs, as they've won both their first and second round series in five games. After their swift defeat of superstar guard Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics have punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth time in the last eight seasons.
Reaching an NBA-best 64 wins in the 2023-24 regular season, their core duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and the rest of their vaunted starting rotation have been playing excellent basketball. Surrounded by defensive masterminds Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, their jobs have been made easier on both ends of the floor.
Their new center Kristaps Porzingis, who's missed the bulk of the playoffs due to injury, has proven to be a worthwhile pick-up, completely changing the dynamic of the team's offense when he's on the floor while providing shot-blocking capabilities for one of the league's best team defenses.
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Boston Celtics Team Stats - 2023-24 Regular Season |
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|---|---|
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Category |
Stat |
|
Wins |
64 |
|
PTS |
120.5 |
|
TS% |
60.9% |
|
OPP TS% |
55% |
|
DRTG |
111.6 |
|
OPP PTS |
109.2 |
As for any great team that's ever been assembled in NBA history, contributions from reserves is a must to win a championship. So far in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Boston bench unit has been incredibly successful in keeping their opponents at bay when their stars are taking a breather, but one player in particular from the Celtics' reserves is contributing to winning in all facets of the game, and that's their fourth-year point guard, Payton Pritchard.
Rise of Payton Pritchard
How the 6-foot-one guard has taken center stage as the Celtics' best guard off the bench.
After Pritchard's senior season at Oregon, averaging 20.5 points on 41.5 percent shooting from three-point range, he was drafted with the 26th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Coming out of college as a 22-year-old, Pritchard was looked at as a scorer with incredible ball-handling ability, who also possessed a quick release to pair with great accuracy on his jumpshot. Pritchard's defensive potential was put into question simply because of his height, though he had a very strong frame and quick feet.
Fast-forward to the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and Pritchard has cemented himself as the Celtics' go-to guard off the bench. Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla consistently puts his trust in Pritchard to run the offense while giving him the green light to shoot from behind the three-point line whenever he sees fit.
He's given a reason for his young head coach to trust him so far, as he's shot a blistering 42.9 percent from three-point range on 3.5 attempts per game in the playoffs.
Though Pritchard has proven himself to be of great value to Boston on both offense and defense, he's broken out further by hustling for loose balls, skying for timely offensive rebounds and playing 100 miles-per-hour every second he steps on the floor.
The young point guard has shown great poise while also providing unparalleled energy for his team through his scrappy and aggressive play-style. Pritchard's 10 total offensive rebounds gives him the fifth most on the team this post-season, accumulating four more than Celtics superstar Tatum and six more than their 7-foot-two center Porzingis.
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Payton Pritchard Advanced Stats - 2024 NBA Playoffs |
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|---|---|
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Category |
Stat |
|
Total MP |
228 |
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TS% |
59.5% |
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Total OREB |
10 |
|
WS |
0.7 |
|
PER |
12.6 |
Pritchard's activity on both ends of the floor and in all hustle categories opens up new opportunities for the Celtics as a whole, as their back-up point guard is constantly fighting to give his team second and third chances on any given possession.
Even when Pritchard isn't looking to score, his imprint has been left on every game of the playoffs to date, as his +54 plus-minus is evident from his activity while helping his team extend their leads.
Following Game 3 of the Celtics' opening round series against the Miami Heat, their superstar and fringe-MVP candidate Tatum praised Pritchard for his aggressiveness and confidence during his post-game media availability.
Payton is one of the most confident guys I've ever been around... He walks out there like he's the best player, and to have that confidence is special. We need him to be like that. Being aggressive on both ends, being able to attack closeouts and create his own shot and create for others... to have it off the bench is special.
Payton Pritchard's efforts while coming off the bench are also exemplified by how he helps his fellow reserve teammates immediately adjust to a game. Pritchard usually enters games with Celtics' sharpshooter Sam Hauser, who has knocked down three's at a 44.1 percent clip in the playoffs. Pritchard's ability to find Hauser for catch-and-shoot three-pointers, as well as hitting Celtics' bench big Luke Kornet with a slick lob pass are just a few ways he shows that he can be the one to initiate offense for a contending team.
The most impressive part about his game is that he also transitions well from playing with his bench co-stars to essentially filling in as a temporary starter. His continuity from being able to be a great bench piece to a quality playoff starting guard has been a joy to watch throughout this post-season.
Ultimately, Pritchard's abilities to hustle and play great two-way basketball are amazing for a player of his stature. Even more than that, it's arguable that his best ability is being someone that the Celtics trust with the ball in his hands. He has proven time and time again, especially in this post-season run, that he can successfully run an offense, hound the opposition's best guard, and control a game through his pace and timely hustle.
Through only 10 games in the Celtics' 2024 NBA Playoff run, Pritchard has separated himself as one of the best players remaining in the post-season that comes in off the bench, and he is further establishing himself as one of the best reserves in the entire league, especially at the point guard position. To put it simply, there's not many players in the NBA that would be chosen to run a team's bench unit over Payton Pritchard.
Pritchard and the Celtics will be matching up against the winner of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers Eastern Conference Semi-Final series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 of that series is set for Tuesday, May 21 at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
