Boston Celtics: Recognizing 3 Stars in win over Toronto

Boston Celtics’ star #2: Payton Pritchard

Payton Pritchard continues to impress in his first year in the league. Scoring 20 points on 6/8 shooting from distance, the rookie had a massive impact on this Celtics’ win. He was the recipient of many of the Tatum and Brown assists, acting as a spot-up shooter from either the corner or from the wing.

He may be one of the best on the roster at doing that already, as he was shooting 42.9% from three coming into this game. He has a real chance at joining the 50/40/90 club in his rookie season, as he’s currently sitting at a 48.5% clip from the field and 90% at the line.

Coming off the bench, Pritchard provides something that no Boston Celtics team has had for years: scoring. He can both shoot from all over the court, and drive the ball to the hoop and finish over defenders. He’s crafty, makes all the winning plays, and has limitless range, consistently hitting them from 30+ feet.

To go with his 20 points, Pritchard also skied for five rebounds and continues to play solid defense despite his slight frame. Standing at 6’1″, many would expect P-Rabbit to be a strictly offensive-focused point guard, specializing in running the offense. He can certainly do that, but he also clamps down on the defensive side of the ball. He makes everything difficult for opposing guards, holding a 1.7 steal percentage.

Playing 29 minutes, the Oregon-product spent much of his time next to other traditional point guards, mainly Kemba Walker, and it worked. Being able to space the floor with his shooting ability on offense, and playing intense defense for his height on defense, he can fit in as the traditional shooting guard in many bench lineups.

This was a home run pick from GM Danny Ainge, as he’s an absolute steal for a late 1st round draft pick, especially as it relates to helping a team win now.