Celtics News: Boston Star Guard Delivers Honest Take on His Role Within the Team

The Celtics guard knows that his role right now might not be his role in the future.

Jan 2, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates with guard Payton Pritchard (11) after making a shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics have gotten back to playing solid basketball. They have won four out of their last five games after having a relatively rough December. Their only loss in that recent stretch was to Oklahoma City, which is the best team in the Western Conference.

Boston has been able to win these games based on the strength of their starting lineup. They have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA when everyone is healthy. Kristaps Porzingis is finally back, so the starting lineup will be back together again for most of the rest of the season.

The Celtics also have a really good sixth man who is in the running for Sixth Man of the Year. Payton Pritchard has been playing the best basketball of his young career. He's averaging 14.8 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent shooting from three.

His role right now is to be a guy who comes in off the bench to get buckets. His priority is to make shots and score points. He understands what his role is right now. and it's not being out there in crunch time. He got honest about his role recently.

“A lot of different guys can close,” said Payton Prichard on The Young Man and the Three podcast. “It’s trusting in that, and at the end of the day it’s Joe’s [Mazzulla] decision. As far as personally, I don’t look game-to-game but I’m always trying to find ways to keep getting better and better. Bad game, good game, it’s learning and keep going.”

Pritchard would like to play more and be out there on the floor when things hang in the balance when everyone is healthy. He knows that in order to do that, he has to keep getting better. It's hard for him to be out there when Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are both healthy.

Holiday is on the older side at 34 years old, so his career might not last much longer. Pritchard could be in line to be the starting point guard once he decides to hang it up and retire. He adds a lot of value on the offensive side of the court.

The Celtics will continue to keep their rotation the way that it is for the foreseeable future. There's a reason they were able to win an NBA title with it.

More Celtics: One-Time Celtics Forward Waived by Rival Eastern Conference Team