Payton Pritchard is a former Sixth Man of the Year and a dynamic offensive player who once seemed destined to crack the starting lineup. Unfortunately for those who had hopes for such a change, Pritchard is still the sixth man—and his minutes with and without Jayson Tatum reveal why.
Though Pritchard's presence on the court has been beneficial to Tatum, he's struggled individually while playing with the franchise player and looked like a star when he's played without him.
According to databallr, Pritchard has played 151 minutes alongside Tatum and 116 without him. During the time they've shared the court, Tatum has averaged 2.7 more points, 2.4 more assists, and 3.1 more rebounds per 100 possessions while shooting 4.3 percent better from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately, Pritchard has averaged 13.4 fewer points, 5.5 fewer assists, and 3.2 fewer rebounds per 100 possessions while shooting 21.5 percent worse from beyond the arc during those same 151 minutes.
It's not just that Pritchard's production has declined in said scenarios, but that he's simply not played all that well. He's posted a true shooting percentage of 49.5, which is 7.7 percent below the current league average, and is burying just 26.5 percent of his threes.
The Celtics are winning the minutes that they share the court for, but the sixth man role is still perfect for both optimizing winning and helping Pritchard maximize his individual impact.
Payton Pritchard has been significantly better without Jayson Tatum
In 116 minutes without Tatum, Pritchard is averaging 31.7 points, 10.3 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and just 1.8 turnovers per 100 possessions. He's also posting a true shooting percentage of 63.2, which exceeds the league average by 6.0 percent.
Pritchard is also shooting the lights out at 48.0 percent from beyond the arc without Tatum on the court, which is a pivotal strength considering the Celtics rank No. 7 in three-point attempts.
None of this means that Pritchard should be kept separate from Tatum. There's clear value in playing them together, as Tatum improves in virtually every area and the Celtics rank in the 88th percentile in net rating when the duo shares the court.
Instead, it's painting the picture of why the sixth man role works so perfectly for Pritchard: He can simultaneously help the team by playing with Tatum and optimize his own success by leading the reserves.
Payton Pritchard can help Jayson Tatum, thrive individually as sixth man
In addition to excelling as an individual when Tatum isn't on the court, Pritchard is helping to lead exceptional lineups during that time. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics rank in the 97th percentile in net rating when Pritchard is on the court but Tatum isn't.
In other words: Boston isn't exactly suffering from bringing Pritchard in to help lead the offense when Tatum needs an opportunity to rest.
That opportunity is created in significant volume by the fact that Pritchard is a sixth man and not a starter. Perhaps Joe Mazzulla could simply stagger their minutes, but Tatum plays 33.8 per game and thrives alongside Paul George as the offensive focal points.
That doesn't leave much space for a shot creator like Pritchard to play his ideal style, which is a potential explanation for the difference in his efficiency levels.
Payton Pritchard is at his best when he can play a high-volume role
Though he's a proven shooter who can work without the ball, Pritchard isn't a spot-up player. Instead, he's a shot creator who needs to be able to handle the ball and create for himself with volume in order to get into a sustained rhythm.
Considering Tatum has a usage rate of 33.1 and George isn't trailing all that far behind at 27.9, the opportunity for Pritchard to play his ideal style with the starters is limited, at best.
When featured with the reserves or even starters other than Tatum, however, Pritchard is able to play more actively with the ball in his hands. The chances he can take are thus not limited to how they complement the superstar, but how they can fuel his own success as a player who can break opponents down, space the floor, and create for others.
That ultimately helps offset personal dips in efficiency when Tatum is on the court and forces teams to keep defenders on Pritchard even when he struggles. Polarizing as the approach may be, it's the strategy that best suits Pritchard's game and the team at large.
Though Pritchard is beyond talented enough to be a starter, this all goes to show why the sixth man role is actually the best option for him in the Celtics' current system.
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