Ducks Digest

Why Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard Should Win NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award

The 2020 Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year with the Oregon Ducks, Payton Pritchard has been one of the best reserves in the NBA this season. He's the favorite to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year ahead of Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley and Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter.

Arden Cravalho

Feb 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) reacts to his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) reacts to his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
In this story:

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is one of the best volume shooters from beyond the arc coming off the bench in the NBA. He's excellent in pick-and-roll action and is an elite passer, especially in lob situations. Pritchard's tight handle of the ball makes it very hard for any defender to guard him and is fearless when attacking the rim.

In his fifth season, all of his statistics have made a drastic improvement. Pritchard averages 14.1 points per game on an efficient shooting split of 47.1 field goal percentage, 41.5 three-point percentage, and 83.6 free throw percentage. He grabs 3.8 rebounds per game and dishes out 3.5 assists per game in 28.0 minutes off the bench.

Boston allows the fewest turnovers per game in the NBA this season at 11.8 per game. Pritchard only accounts for one of those per game.

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30)
Feb 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the first quarter at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

According to DraftKings, Pritchard is the favorite to win the award at betting odds at -155. Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley follows at +400 and Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter at +425.

"He's unbelievable, what he brings to this team on a given night, especially off the bench. We've got a few weeks left, but he's got to be Sixth Man of the Year."

- Jayson Tatum via NBA on TNT

MORE: Oregon Ducks Upset No. 11 Wisconsin Badgers: NCAA Tournament Implications

MORE: Oregon Ducks To Land No. 1 Quarterback Recruit Jared Curtis Over Georgia Bulldogs?

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dillon Gabriel Gaining On Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward Before NFL Draft?

“It’s not something I really think about. If I’m fortunate enough to win, that’s, I guess, a testament to the hard work I put in and I think it just means that I helped this team coming off the bench and doing my job at a high level."

- Payton Pritchard

Pritchard leads bench players in these categories this season:

No. 1 in points - 775 total
No. 1 in three-pointers - 178 total
No. 1 in plus/minus - 6.21 per game
No. 2 in assists - 194 total
No. 6 in steals - 47 total

Pritchard has some ties with current Oregon Ducks guard Jackson Shelstad as both are from West Linn. Coach Dana Altman is lucky to have almost a carbon copy of Pritchard in Shelstad as the two have eerily similar playing styles.

“We are really close. Our families have been good friends since I was in elementary school. I’ve been around him and learned a lot from him. We’ve worked out together. His work ethic is insane.”

- Shelstad on Pritchard via Kerry Eggers
Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad (3) scores on Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) to send the game into overtime
Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad (3) scores on Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) to send the game into overtime during the second half of their game Saturday, February 22, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Oregon beat Wisconsin 77-73 in overtime. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Celtics are looking to repeat as NBA champions and as long as Pritchard is running the second unit, Boston has a very strong possibility to do that. Through 57 games, Boston has a 41-16 overall record and are in second place in the Eastern Conference standings. Per DraftKings, the Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder are the odds-on favorites to win the Larry O'Brien trophy at +220.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Published |Modified
Arden Cravalho
ARDEN CRAVALHO

Arden Cravalho has been covering Oregon football and basketball for Sports Illustrated's Oregon site since June 2024. Arden has been writing extensively about college athletics beginning in 2018. His other work can be seen on "The Slipper Still Fits" at SB Nation. Arden is a graduate of Gonzaga University and brings a deep understanding of college sports to his writing. Residing in San Francisco, CA, Arden continues to follow his passion for college sports with a focus on the Ducks. His experience and dedication to covering Oregon's athletic programs are evident in his insightful articles and analysis

Home/Basketball