Payton Pritchard Looks to Take Jump for Celtics After Strong Preseason Opener

Sam LaFrance | 3 Hours Ago

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Friday’s 107-103 win over the Denver Nuggets gave Boston Celtics fans their first look at the 2024-25 squad. The strange thing about preseason is that it’s pretty rare to see players actually playing the roles that they’ll be in once the games start to count.

Of everyone involved, it felt as if Payton Pritchard had the closest outing, in terms of responsibility, to what fans should expect to see throughout the upcoming season. He served as a sparkplug off the bench and logged 24 minutes for Boston. The 26-year-old scored a game-high 21 points while shooting 6-13 from the field and 6-12 from beyond the arc. In addition, he tallied six assists and four rebounds to round out his stat line.

His outing certainly reflected the work he put in during the offseason. Pritchard explained that he’s not only trying to become a well-rounded offensive player, but wants to become more impactful as a defender.

“Getting more consistent off the dribble with the three ball,” Pritchard said of his offseason goals Friday (h/t NBC Sports Boston). “I thought my finishing and mid-range game last year took a big jump, so I thought that was really good. Obviously, I’m always working on that stuff. But, if I can be more efficient shooting off the dribble from there, as well as the catch-and-shoot, then that completes my game. Then defensively, just finding ways to be better at taking charges, getting more hands-on balls, steals and stuff like that. So, if I can make a jump then I’ll keep improving as a player.”

Payton Pritchard talks about what he worked on this Summer to help improve his game 💪 pic.twitter.com/b9YywH5NjC

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 4, 2024

Pritchard now entering his fifth (wow) season as a pro, has been a part of Boston’s rotation for the majority of his career, with the exception of the 2022-23 season where Malcolm Brogdon served as the “sixth man.” In the seasons where he’s had a consistent flow of minutes, the Oregon native has been nothing but efficient, shooting 41.1%, 41.2%, and 38.5% from deep respectively.

If there’s one thing we should all know about Pritchard, it’s that he is going to be ready when his number is called. There’s a pretty fair chance that the 2024-25 campaign offers PP even more opportunity. Jrue Holiday, now 34, only played 12 minutes in the preseason opener.

Does this mean he’s only going to play 12 minutes every night?

No. Of course not.

What it could mean is that he could be the recipient of a few extra days off throughout the season, opening the door for Pritchard to take on some added responsibility within the Celtics’ offense.

Maybe that means more time as the primary ballhandler. Maybe it only means that he’s going to see a few extra minutes as a catch-and-shoot guy.

Whatever it is, it shouldn’t be shocking when Pritchard is ready for the moment.