Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard walked into training camp last season and declared that his stated goals were to become more efficient shooting threes off the dribble and to become a more impactful on-ball defender.
He responded by placing in the top five in effective field goal percentage on pull-up threes among those hoisting at least two per contest. That category adjusts field goal percentage to account for the added value of attempts from behind the arc.
At the other end of the floor, Pritchard delivered the best campaign of his career. The six-foot-one guard told this author that his work in the gym, adding muscle and getting even quicker, allowed him to guard players ranging from Luka Doncic to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cade Cunningham.
His performance during those opportunities earned him more chances to prove himself against the top perimeter players on the opposition.
His two-way performance led to taking home the Sixth Man of the Year trophy.
At media day at the Auerbach Center on Monday, Pritchard shared with Hardwood Houdini what his goals are entering the 2025-26 season.
Payton Pritchard's individual goals for the upcoming campaign
Starting at the offensive end of the court, Pritchard told Hardwood Houdini that he is "always striving offensively to be more efficient. I think being more efficient [at] taking off-the-dribble threes at a higher late rate. The best three-point shooters in the league, like Steph [Curry] and them, they're unbelievable off catch-and-shoot and off the dribble."
After dishing out a career-best 3.5 assists per game, a product of logging the most minutes of his career [28.4], the former Oregon Duck also wants to build on that success and create more quality scoring opportunities for his teammates.
"I think play-making, making the game even easier for my teammates," voiced Pritchard. "That can be with passing, but also being a great screen setter and stuff like that. I feel like the gravity that I can attract off the ball, obviously, people don't want me to shoot threes, so how do I use that to help teammates around me?"
As for the other end of the floor?
"Defensively, now I definitely need to be more active with my hands," said Pritchard. "I feel like I do a good job of keeping people in front, making them shoot tough shots, stuff like that. But how can I get more steals? How can I create transition opportunities to get easy baskets and get out and run? So, it's always [about] looking forward to every season to add to my game and keep growing as a player."