The Boston Celtics have been playing out of their minds since the calendar page flipped to January, winning 25 of their 34 outings during this stretch (fourth-best mark in the association), and, with this, are heading towards the postseason with a ton of potential to see a deep run.
However, the playoffs are not the only time period that the C’s are inching closer to where they could wind up achieving a great deal of success, for the offseason is only a few months away (hopefully, that is) and, during this time frame, Brad Stevens and co. will most likely be looking to further bolster the roster around franchise cornerstones, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Due to the fact that the front office will have minimal cap space to work with, should Boston opt to add on fresh talents, rather than focusing all their energy on free agency, Stevens will almost certainly be looking to the trade market to bring on additional firepower to the rotation.
Now, of course, in doing so the shamrocks will have to part ways with a few players currently on the team in order to match salaries and, simply, to open up roster space so that the incoming players can fit aboard, and while there are a few trade candidates that automatically come to mind, on the flip side there are also several players, even those outside of the Jays, who should be seen as less expendable.
In fact, we here at HH believe that, due to their play this season, 3 specific talents have managed to earn the right to a roster spot come the 2023-23 campaign:
(**Scheduled prior to Friday night’s conclusion**)
Boston Celtics player No. 1) Payton Pritchard
Since coming into the league just two offseasons ago, Payton Pritchard has quickly become a favorite amongst the Boston Celtics faithful.
While he may not be viewed as a future superstar by any stretch of the word, the sophomore point guard has already proven during his short tenure in the league that he has the ability to impact the game in a positive way whilst serving as either a spot-minute reserve or as a high-usage contributor.
For any team looking to vie for a championship, having assets such as this within the rotation can wind up proving to be invaluable in the long run.
Easily one of the C’s most promising youngsters, through 59 games played this year we find the second-year pro boasting solid averages of 14.9 points, five assists, and 4.6 rebounds per 75 possessions on 37 percent shooting from deep (second-best mark on the team of those who have logged more than 500 minutes on the year).
Payton Pritchard’s sweet shooting stroke and energizer bunny motor, coupled with the fact that he plays the game’s most important position has turned him into a player that should be viewed as a long-term staple for this team.