Boston Celtics: Pros and cons of Payton Pritchard earning a starting role

Con: Too much pressure

Asking a rookie to be a starter on any team is a big risk. Not every rookie is capable of coming in and taking on that responsibility right away, especially when there are more veteran players at his position already on the roster.

That pressure gets ramped up even more when a rookie is asked to start on a title contender. Especially if that title contender is a storied franchise such as the Boston Celtics.

So far, Pritchard has looked fine under pressure, but he’s also been coming off the bench as a spark plug. Does his demeanor change if he’s asked to start and orchestrate the offense from the jump?

Obviously, Boston’s starting point guard job is Kemba Walker’s to take once he’s fully healthy again. In the meantime, does putting a rookie in that position to “hold down the fort” add too much pressure to a young player who already didn’t have a normal offseason thanks to the current pandemic? Is it better to have Pritchard remain the “sixth man” and start the veterans until Walker returns?

Pritchard has been a pleasant surprise for Boston thus far, so why mess with a good thing and potentially ruin his confidence or his rhythm by giving him a new role? If he’s comfortable in this spot, it makes sense to keep riding that wave.

Verdict

Ultimately, now is the time to tweak with the lineup and make sure you’re getting your players prepared for a postseason run. Pritchard gives the Celtics a nice ace up their sleeve to use how they see fit, but this spot is still Kemba Walker’s to take over as long as he’s his old self again.