Celtics News: Payton Pritchard Reacts to Sixth Man of the Year Buzz

Ricardo Klein | 2 Hours Ago

Dec 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are arguably the best team in the NBA. They are loaded from top to bottom, and while their star players like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are carrying the load, another one of their crucial players is having a career year. 

Celtics' young guard and possible All-Star this season, Payton Pritchard, is having quite the start to the 2024-25 campaign. Pritchard's averages have jumped across the board, and because of that, he is the frontrunner to be named the Sixth Man of the Year. 

As things stand, Pritchard is the favorite for the award, and it's not even close. While we are all discussing it, Pritchard isn't even thinking about it, not even a little. 

Pritchard told Bosotn.com's Conor Roche that winning the award is something that he doesn't really think about. 

"It's not something I really think about," Pritchard told Roche. "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."

He added, "It's not something like if I don't win or win, it's not make-or-break it for me. I'm (going to) continue doing what I'm doing."

The former first-round draft pick is averaging 16.5 points per game, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and a steal in 25 games off the bench. Pritchard ranks fifth in scoring within the team behind the likes of Brown, Tatum, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis. 

In addition, Pritchard is the only player to appear in all 25 games this season. He plays, plays well, and is available more often than not. Pritchard has spent all his career in Boston, and things couldn't have gone better for him. 

The Celtics selected Pritchard with the No. 26 overall pick out of the University of Oregon in the 2020 NBA Draft. His role in Boston has grown year after year, and so have his averages. Last season, he averaged 9.6 points per game on 38 percent shooting from three, and now he is averaging seven more points while shooting light out from three (43 percent). 

If Pritchard were to win the award, he would be the first player since his former teammate Malcolm Brogdon to be named the Celtics' Sixth Man of the Year in the 2022-23 season. 

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