Joe Mazzulla wants to see more from Payton Pritchard. Four games into the season, he challenged him to be better defensively.
The fiery Celtics' guard heeded the call. In Boston's first NBA Cup contest, he got back to being a pest at that end of the floor. Pritchard forced two steals and had a pair of deflections in the hosts' 125-111 win over the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden.
It's no surprise that he answered the bell. The former Sixth Man of the Year is fueled by a relentless drive to maximize his potential.
As Jayson Tatum said at training camp, "To be a six-foot white guard and got to the point he has in his career, it's because he works his [expletive] off."
How Payton Pritchard intends to raise his game defensively
Along with creating more opportunities for turnovers, the former Sixth Man of the Year wants to dial up his on-ball pressure. He intends to draw more fouls on screens.
He has quick feet and a stamina bar that always seems to be in the green. Shouldering so much offensive responsibility and hounding opposing ball handlers is a lot to juggle. Some nights, he'll have to pick and choose his spots. But there will also be games like Friday's NBA Cup contest when he puts it all together.
"You saw the absolute best version of him. Now, it takes a ton of energy. Not going to be able to do that every single night, but the sky's the limit for him," voiced Mazzulla from the post-game podium.
And just as he quickly got back to playing more aggressively, Pritchard wants to make more of an impact on the glass again. He averaged 3.1 defensive rebounds last season and 2.6 the year before.
"In the past, I've been a good rebounder, but this year, I haven't rebounded well; I haven't boxed out well," he said after Friday's NBA Cup clash.
Is Payton Pritchard taking on too much responsibility?
One doesn't reach the heights he has without demanding excellence from himself. He has a burning desire to convert every ounce of his potential into production.
"Pressure's a privilege. I'm gonna go through ups and downs, but it's gonna make me better," expressed the former Oregon star after the Celtics' win over the Bulls.
His comments came on a night when he went off for 20 points on 7/10 shooting in the first half. He finished with 30, pacing all participants. He buried 9/17 shots. That's nearly a 53 percent conversion rate. The seventh-year guard went 9/9 at the free-throw line, establishing a new career high in makes and attempts. He also had three assists and three rebounds. Plus those two steals and a pair of deflections.
It was a complete performance. It also earned Pritchard a hug from his head coach. Mazzulla was expressing his gratitude for seeing a player he has an especially tight bond with answer his challenge.
"He's got more in the tank," said Mazzulla after Boston's victory to improve to 4-1 this season. "He's a kid that can continue to get better and better. I like pushing him. I like coaching him, and love him like a brother."
How much room for growth does Payton Pritchard have?
In this author's opinion? A lot. He's a three-level scorer. He was one of the best isolation players in the league last season. The 28-year-old guard's production with those opportunities was up there with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic.
Whether starting or coming off the bench, he can be Boston's second-highest scorer in the 2026-27 campaign. He averaged 5.2 assists per game last year. It's easy to fixate on his scoring. However, that number reflects the room for growth he has as a facilitator. Pritchard has improved at orchestrating the pick-and-roll over the years. But it's another area where there's more meat on the bone.
Defensively, it's a bit of a similar story. He has shown you that he can live in someone's jersey and take away their airspace. He is already exerting himself a great deal at the other end. But as the Bulls saw, he can still be a pest at times. And if he's also forcing turnovers by drawing illegal screens? Even better. It's another way a player who has come so far but still has so much more potential can move toward maxing out.
"Payton's a guy that gets better every year, and I think the sky’s the limit for him," said Mazzulla. "I think he hasn't completely tapped into the player that he can become, and that's just being complete on both ends of the floor."
Performances like the one Pritchard delivered on Friday are a reminder of how much further he can go. And with Mazzulla pushing a person with a work ethic like the one the Celtics guard has, there's likely another leap coming this season. There's no telling how far he'll go in his quest to touch the sky.
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