The Boston Celtics have one of the most jam-packed offensive lineups in the NBA. Jayson Tatum is on track to make his third straight All-NBA First Team, Jaylen Brown is a mastermind from the mid-range, and Kristaps Porzingis is a wizard in the post. Yet that’s only scratching the surface of what they can do.
In fact, none of those three players have a shot quite as efficient as the one Payton Pritchard and Derrick White take when they’re coming off screens. For as amazing as the rest of the roster is, Pritchard and White’s ability to make shots coming off screens is unmatched.
And the Celtics barely run these players.
Payton Pritchard and Derrick White coming off screens is absolutely lethal
Among all players who have taken at least 20 shots off of screens this year, Pritchard and White are averaging the most points per possession, and the numbers are astronomical.
Pritchard is averaging 1.73 points per possession when coming off screens, and White is averaging 1.65 points per possession. The only other player with at least 20 attempts averaging at least 1.5 points per possession is Malik Monk at 1.62.
Payton Pritchard and Derrick White coming off screens have been unstoppable this season pic.twitter.com/Xka7kM14cg
— Jack Simone (@JackSimoneNBA) February 25, 2025
However, Pritchard has only logged 41 possessions in that spot this season, and White has only logged 40. For context, the league leaders in possessions coming off screens this season are Stephen Curry (193), Devin Booker (147), and Malik Beasley (135). Those three are at 1.18, 1.14, and 1.15 points per possession, accordingly.
Back in the 2015-16 season, Klay Thompson ran 500 (1.05 PPP) possessions coming off screens for the peak-level Golden State Warriors, and Stephen Curry logged 285 (1.20 PPP) that same year.
Despite the fact that Pritchard and White are the two most efficient players coming off screens this year, the action just isn’t in the Celtics’ playbook very often.
But that’s not where the craziness ends.
Not only does Pritchard average 1.73 points per possession coming off screens, but he’s also earned an effective field goal percentage of 95.8%. That’s first in the league and an absolutely astronomical level of efficiency. White sits in third at 79.5%.
Boston’s offense is so stacked that they have two of the most efficient shots in basketball laying in wait at their disposal, but they don’t run plays for them that often.
As the regular season wraps up and the playoffs inch closer, keep an eye out for the Celtics to break out these looks more often, as the efficiency is off the charts.