Many would say that the Boston Celtics are still the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference come June, and they would be correct. After so many years of being the young and inexperienced team in the East, Celtics fans can rest in the fact that their team has already been to the mountaintop, and that championship DNA will go a long way toward them having a chance at repeating.
Jayson Tatum continues to be absolutely incredible and silence whatever doubters are still trying to argue he's not a top-five player in the sport. He is a big reason to have faith in Boston being able to go back-to-back. But if there were any legitimate concerns about this Celtics team, it would have to be concerning the production of guys further down their bench. One name in particular stands out among this group: Payton Pritchard.
It is safe to say that Celtics fans are pressing the panic button when it comes to Pritchard right now. While he has had a solid regular season from a big picture perspective, there have been some concerning signs as of late that could lead to issues once playoff time comes around.
Pritchard has struggled to look comfortable as a scorer
Put simply, it is hard to view Pritchard as a true difference-maker right now. On Tuesday against the Knicks, we saw New York repeatedly go at him and attack him on defense. Then on Wednesday versus the Orlando Magic, Payton had another subpar shooting night and made just one of his seven three-point attempts.
Some Celtics fans on social media have labeled Pritchard as a "bad team merchant," and that assessment is not too far off right now. He has done a lot of damage against lottery-bound teams this season, while frequently struggling when matching up with bigger and more talented competition. Of course, Boston was never going to rely super heavily on Pritchard in the playoffs, but his recent play has given us a more complete picture of what his role should be once the postseason arrives.
Joe Mazzulla will likely want to limit Pritchard to around 15 minutes per night in the playoffs. Anything more than that is going to feel like too much for a guy who can quickly become a negative at both ends of the floor if his shot is not falling. Pritchard will still have his moments, but his subpar production as of late should be an obvious indicator of what is to come.
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