Regarding the Boston Celtics, a hot topic throughout last offseason was whether Payton Pritchard would start or come off the bench. The C's had acquired Anfernee Simons in a trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Pacific Northwest. Simons hadn't just grown accustomed to starting, but when Damian Lillard departed, he took the reins as the Portland Trail Blazers' primary ball handler and scorer.
However, with Pritchard a part of Boston's future, and Simons on an expiring contract, the scales tipped in the former's favor. To the latter's credit, he handled that adjustment well. The eighth-year guard earned praise throughout the organization for his professionalism and commitment to being a winning player on both sides of the ball.
Still in need of stabilizing the center position before the playoffs, the Celtics traded him for Nikola Vucevic at the deadline. It was a move that helped them get below the luxury tax. That affords the franchise significant flexibility moving forward. It could also lead to resetting the repeater tax, a path that would make it easier to take another significant swing in pursuit of its next championship banner.
As Boston tries to navigate its way back to the NBA's mountaintop, it once again must decide whether to insert Pritchard into the first unit.
Why Payton Pritchard should return to the Celtics' starting lineup
As Brad Stevens acknowledged at his end-of-season press conference, this team needs to get faster. It also must put more pressure on the rim.
Brad Stevens when asked about the Celtics’ 3-pt attempt rate spiking in the playoffs:
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) May 6, 2026
“I thought we struggled to generate really good shots on our first possession.”
He also notes that in the last two postseasons, they struggled to get to the rim and that they need to add to… pic.twitter.com/sv7l0e2cJJ
"My general feeling watching us play, in really each of the last two playoffs, in the second round against New York, even against Orlando in the first round, was, we had a hard time generating really good looks on that first shot," stated the organization's president of basketball operations. "One of the things that we've got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim."
Stevens also voiced his belief that they must add to their team to address that. To his point, starting Pritchard doesn't eradicate this problem. However, it's an internal solution that can be a part of the cure.
The sixth-year guard produced 5.9 points in the paint per contest. He's nearly impossible to keep from borrowing his way downhill. He has excellent contact balance while he drives. From there, he's crafty, a necessary skill to finish around the basket at six-foot-one. A significant source of his savviness around the cylinder stems from being exceptional at playing off of two feet.
Stopped on a dime 💰 pic.twitter.com/308aKv6cNi
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 1, 2026
It's a package that helped Pritchard generate the third-most isolation points per possession among those who participated in at least 60 games and averaged at least one such field-goal attempt, per NBA.com. A three-level scorer, he even shook off his shooting frustrations to start the season, ending the campaign with a 37.7 percent conversion rate on 7.1 tries from behind the arc.
The former Oregon Duck also parlayed more opportunities with the ball in his hands into the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league in the regular season. That's among those who played in at least 60 games, averaging 25 minutes or more. He did so while shouldering a higher usage rate than the three individuals in front of him.
The 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year capitalized on his opportunity to enter the starting lineup this season. When it came time to return to a role where he was coming off the bench, he handled it with maturity and proper perspective. In some ways, not sharing the floor with both of Boston's star wings made it easier for him to maintain the aggressive approach he employed while in the first unit. That's something to consider as the organization decides where to slot him next season.
The Celtics have options. They could start Jaylen Brown in the backcourt and acquire a new starting forward who makes them more athletic and creates more points at the rim. However, as they work to become more dynamic and more efficient offensively, starting Pritchard is an in-house solution who can help the cause.
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