Fresh off their 2024 NBA Championship victory, the Boston Celtics brought back everybody. Where some title teams fail to retain the same squad that brought them to glory, the Celtics succeeded. But while the entire team is virtually the same, the responsibilities are not.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still leading the way, with Derrick White following close behind, but another guy has emerged amongst the pack. Payton Pritchard has been incredible this season. He ranks fourth on the team in scoring and in total shots attempted, and it’s clear that the Celtics trust him as much as anyone on the roster.
And that was always the plan.
The Celtics wanted Payton Pritchard to do more
After a recent Celtics practice, Pritchard revealed that the staff spoke to him heading into the season about taking more shots and being more aggressive.
“They talked about it more going into a year, that they wanted me to play with a little bit more freedom,” Pritchard said. “Be more aggressive. So, it was definitely something we talked about, and obviously, I just took that and ran with it.”
Through 15 games this year, Pritchard is averaging 15.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 42.3% from behind the three-point line.
Pritchard’s willingness to play on and off the ball has allowed the Celtics to run a bunch of different offensive looks. He’s been able to play off of Tatum, Brown, and White all year, leveraging their talent into open looks and opportunities for himself.
“It's good. I mean, obviously, they draw a lot of attention, so I'm able to get a lot of catch-and-shoot shots, movement shots, and stuff like that,” Pritchard said. “So, always just looking to be aggressive and let it fly.”
Boston signed Pritchard to an extension last summer, and it’s paying off in a big way. He’s making under $7 million this year, and in the final year of his contract (2027-28) will only make roughly $8.3 million.
Having a guy willing to play off the ball but also capable of running an offense is a very valuable commodity, making Pritchard’s contract one of the best in the NBA.
The Celtics are arguably the best team in basketball, and Pritchard has found a role as their fourth-leading scorer this season. That’s a very impressive feat and one that Boston should be very grateful for.