Payton Pritchard has unlocked a never-before-seen version of himself that’s propelled the reigning champion Boston Celtics night after night, and it’s allowed the undersized guard to begin securing some early-season award consideration.
Pritchard answered the call to action again Thursday, this time by giving the Celtics 31 minutes off the bench against the Detroit Pistons. Celtics star Jayson Tatum was ruled out (right knee tendinopathy) before tip-off, leaving a scoring void to be filled and that’s exactly where Pritchard came in with a team-leading 27 points and 10 assists to notch his first double-double of the season. It not only propelled Boston to a win over Detroit but also strengthened Pritchard’s Sixth Man of the Year campaign.
“It’s not something I really think about,” Pritchard told reporters postgame, per CLNS Media. “If I’m fortunate to win, that’s a testament to the hard work I put in and I think it just means that I’ve helped this team coming off the bench and doing my job at a high level. It’s not something I’m like if I don’t win or I win it’s make or break it for me. I’m gonna continue to keep doing what I’m doing, but yeah, it would be an honor.”
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Setting the bar was tricky entering Boston’s clean slate. Pritchard was fresh off a championship in which he’d cement his legacy by draining a buzzer-beating half-court shot in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He’d already been paid, signing a four-year, $30 million extension prior to the start of last season and the role was carved out for him — come off the bench, keep the assist-to-turnover ratio as efficient as possible and fire away from 3-point range. But somehow, Pritchard has found a way to raise that bar.
Pritchard isn’t settling for being the feel-good story guy off the bench who’s easy to pull for and capable of hitting a big shot here and there. No, instead the Oregon product is striving to be the most valuable reserve option the NBA has to offer.
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So far, Pritchard’s breakout year has him averaging a career-high 16.5 points — which also leads all bench players in the league — and 3.3 rebounds, shooting 48.8% from the field and 43.2% from 3-point range. Pritchard drained his 500th career three on Thursday night, making him the 10th player in Celtics history to do so. It also increased Pritchard’s season total of 3-pointers to 96, which eclipses everyone in the NBA except for Anthony Edwards (103) of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“He just loves to compete,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Thursday night, per CLNS Media. “So at the end of the day, I enjoy it, teammates enjoy it. It’s fun just watching him compete at a high level. He doesn’t really play to a scoreboard. He just plays to compete and that’s a beautiful gift that he has.”
Pritchard made seven of Boston’s 20 3-pointers on Thursday night, making the league lead a very feasible feat for the versatile Celtics bench maestro as the season rolls along.
