The one thing that could stop a Payton Pritchard 6MOTY bid

It would be silly to overreact to one preseason game. The Boston Celtics picked up a 107-103 win over the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi. That doesn’t mean the Celtics are going to win the title and the Nuggets are heading for the lottery, but some some opinions can be formed based on player performances. Namely, Payton Pritchard.

The Celtics guard was the best player on the floor during the preseason opener. He finished the game with 21 points, four rebounds, and six assists while shooting a red-hot 6-of-12 from behind the three-point line. He shot the ball with the same unwavering confidence he’s possessed his whole career.

Now, it should be time for the Celtics to capitalize on that.

Minutes are holding Pritchard back

When Malcolm Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year on the Celtics, he played 26.0 minutes per contest. Last year, Pritchard played 22.3 minutes per game. That number should increase this year, especially considering Jrue Holiday and Derrick White played big minutes for Team USA this summer.

There’s no doubt that Pritchard has the talent to win Sixth Man of the Year. He’s an elite shooter, a great one-on-one scorer, and an underrated facilitator. The question is, will he get enough minutes to put up the stats to win the award?

Based on one preseason game, he should.

Obviously, White and Holiday are going to eat up a ton of guard minutes next season. But Pritchard should see more ball-handling opportunities than ever before this season.

On top of that, he’s an elite catch-and-shoot guy off the ball. If he gets enough minutes next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, he should get two to three open looks per game in those situations alone.

There is no world where Pritchard gets as many touches in the regular season as he did in the first preseason game. That’s just not how the Celtics operate. But expecting him to play 25 minutes per game and take 10 to 12 shots shouldn’t be out of the question.

Last year, he took 7.7 shots per game, so that would require a pretty significant increase, but the Celtics should trust him to take on those responsibilities.

He’s one of the most efficient players on the team, and last year, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. When Brogdon won the award, he put up 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.

If Pritchard puts in one more layup and one more three per game this year, he’ll be around the right mark for points. Throw in an extra assist or two, and he has a chance to put up similar numbers to Brogdon.

Should Pritchard continue to dominate the preseason, he should be in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation heading into the year. The only thing holding him back is minutes.

So, will Joe Mazzulla give him the chance?