After the Celtics’ demoralizing first-round loss to the 76ers, Brad Stevens was left begging for help in the form of rim pressure and generating better shots. Minds jumped to trades, but more and more, it seems one of the best answers is simply elevating Payton Pritchard to a bigger role.
With every opportunity, Pritchard has risen to the challenge. He continues to prove, in smaller doses, that he can efficiently run the offense, stress the defense, and create advantages while generating good looks for himself and others. His super sixth-man role is great, but it’s time for him to become more of a fulcrum, a true starting point guard alongside Jayston Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
We know Pritchard is a great three-point shooter, and we know he can get to the basket, but he’s really a true three-level scorer, as proven by the fact that, among all players in the NBA with at least 200 attempts, Pritchard ranked third in field goal percentage from inside the non-restricted area of the paint, shooting 55.9%, behind just Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant.
Payton showed the ability to live in that spot, beating his man off the dribble, then pulling up for an easy 10-footer. That’s a money shot in the NBA playoffs, and an area where the league’s best offensive engines like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson are forced to live in the playoffs.
Pritchard can run an elite NBA offense, ready for bigger role
Pritchard may not be able to reach that level (although don’t rule it out), but he can consistently create this kind of offense while still being able to lean on two All-NBA superstars in Tatum and Brown. Those guys should still have high usage and be heavily involved, but they can thrive as off-ball weapons next to a true point guard, and this offense can really hum.
The Celtics have an on-ball weapon at their disposal; they just need to unleash it and lean into it even more. They’ll need another guard off the bench, but they need more of a change-of-pace guy and less of a starter, because that role should be filled by Pritchard.
He has been waiting in the wings for too long at this point; it’s time to take the training wheels all the way off and see just how far a Payton Pritchard-led offense flanked by the Jays can go in the modern NBA.
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