3 Boston Celtics who have earned roles on the 2023-24 squad

The Boston Celtics roster as a whole has changed vastly since the end of their Finals run in 2022. Boston’s heartbreaking loss in Game 6 of the NBA Finals opened the eyes of the C’s front office personnel and lit a fire in the eyes of the young duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to get back on the main stage.

To achieve that, though, Brad Stevens knew he had some roster issues he needed to address to get his team over the hump.

During the Celtics late-season run last year, it was evident the team lacked depth. Boston’s lack of talent on the bench allotted for young players to be thrown into the thick of things, resulting in an uphill climb at times.

The Cs used the offseason to bolster their bench with players who could complement their star players and buy into their role to elevate the Celtics play. But with that, the minutes for depth players became scarce and ultimately pushed promising talent like Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams backward in the rotation.

Undoubtably, the teams’ moves in the offseason have proved to be worth it, as the Celtics are among the top teams in the league and are likely to be the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference postseason. Nonetheless, with limited minutes to spare this year, there has been little room for players to showcase their abilities and solidify themselves to make the roster in 2023.

However, a few players have capitalized on their limited minutes and given the Celtics a reason to consider bringing them back for the 2023–2024 season.

Boston Celtics player who has earned 2023-24 role No. 1: Payton Pritchard

Pritchard was drafted by the Celtics 26th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. In his first year in the league, Pritchard was thrown into the rotation right away and showed plenty of potential from day one. The Oregon alum regressed a bit in his second year as a pro due to the change at head coach. With Ime Udoka coming in and Brad Stevens moving into the front office, the guard struggled to find consistent minutes under Udoka.

Moving onto year three, Pritchard finds himself in a rare situation for a player still on his rookie contract. Playing for his third-head coach in three years has proven to be difficult for the six-foot-one sharpshooter. Along with the constant changes to the coaching staff, Pritchard also finds himself in a battle with multiple NBA-proven guards. Playing under Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon has its pros and cons.

While the Pac-12 product has learned plenty from the veterans ahead of him, he has also struggled to see the floor. Pritchard has expressed his desire to play more with his recent comments in an interview with longtime NBA veteran, Andre Iguodala.

"“It’s obviously what I work for. I think that’s what Brad and them know, too. We’ve had that discussion but — a bigger role. I want to be part of a winning culture but I want to also help that, be a really big piece of that. I’m not saying it’s the best player on the team, but I don’t know what my future holds unless I can take that next step. I don’t know what it is in five or 10 years, but I just want to look back and know that I put my best foot forward. I put all the work in so whatever happens I can live with as long as I did it my way. That’s the most important thing for me.”"

While it has yet to be decided if the Cs will be able to find room for Pritchard in the rotation, the young playmaker brings unique talents to the table that any team can appreciate. If the Celtics can find a way to bring back Pritchard, he could be a great piece to bring off the bench moving forward.