Boston Celtics: 3 ways Payton Pritchard can improve in 2021-22
By Chris Conte
Area of improvement for Payton Pritchard No. 2) Defensive activity
Small guards have a horrible track record in the NBA as defenders. Players like Trae Young, Damian Lillard, and even the C’s own Kemba Walker have had significant issues defending their position due to their height.
They can quickly be taken advantage of in the post or out on the perimeter by oversized wings and are often hunted in the half-court to create favorable matchups for the opposing offense.
Most of the small stars I just named struggle on defense because they aren’t focused or don’t have the energy because they carry such a large load. However, there are ample examples of small guys proving to be positive defenders.
Players like Fred VanVleet, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Beverley, who are short in stature, have been and have even made All-Defensive teams in the past because they knew how to play the cards they were dealt.
Payton Pritchard needs to become one of these capable undersized defenders to help the Boston Celtics win a championship.
He needs to be as active as possible on the defensive end and understand how offenses function to manipulate them.
Taking charges, getting in passing lanes, and interrupting other player’s dribbles would be great.
Still, it would be even better if Pritchard became an elite screen navigator, elite pick-pocketer, and elite disrupter.
All those defensive attributes go hand in hand, and if Pritchard put his mind to it, he could become great at all of them.