Payton Pritchard is stepping into a new chapter with the Boston Celtics - and it’s not just about more minutes. It’s about more responsibility, more on-ball reps, and more trust from a team with championship aspirations. The numbers tell the story of a player evolving from a sparkplug off the bench into a steady contributor with a real role in the Celtics’ rotation.
Coming into the season, expectations were clear: Pritchard was going to see an expanded role. The Celtics cleared the deck for him, and now he’s proving why that decision wasn’t just about filling space - it was about unlocking another layer of their offense.
His minutes per game have jumped by nearly five, and his usage rate is up by 3.6 percentage points. That’s not a small bump - that’s a team saying, “We trust you to do more.”
And he’s answered that call, especially as a playmaker. His assist rate has climbed by 5.2%, while his turnover rate has actually dropped by nearly 2%.
That’s a big deal. It means he’s not just handling the ball more - he’s making better decisions with it.
He’s reading defenses, running more actions, and doing it all with poise. That’s the kind of growth you want to see when a player moves from a bench scorer to a legitimate offensive initiator.
He’s also creating more of his own offense - and that’s where the shift really becomes clear. The percentage of his field goals that are assisted has plummeted by 19%, the largest drop among Celtics players this season.
That tells us he’s no longer just a catch-and-shoot guy or a secondary option. He’s driving more (up to six drives per game) and pulling up more frequently (2.4 more pull-up attempts per game).
The Celtics are giving him the green light to start plays, not just finish them.
That freedom shows up in his shot profile. He’s getting to the rim less and taking fewer corner threes - the kinds of shots typically created for players, not by them.
Instead, he’s living more in the midrange, especially the short midrange, where his frequency has jumped by 18%. That’s not always the most efficient area, but it’s where guards go when the play breaks down and someone needs to make something happen.
It’s a tough shot diet, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Unsurprisingly, that shift has taken a toll on his efficiency. His scoring numbers have dipped, with both two- and three-point percentages down and an overall drop of nearly 17 points per 100 shot attempts.
But that’s less about poor shooting and more about the nature of the shots he’s taking. He’s no longer picking his spots - he’s plugging holes in the offense, stepping up when the play needs saving.
Defensively, the picture hasn’t changed much. He’s on the floor more, which means opponents have more chances to go at him - especially in a Celtics system that’s heavy on switching.
His steal and block rates are slightly down, but that’s not where his value lies. Pritchard’s impact comes from his offensive versatility and his ability to stretch defenses with his shooting and decision-making.
This version of Payton Pritchard isn’t just a continuation of last year - it’s a reinvention. He’s wearing the same jersey, but he’s doing a different job. More minutes, more creation, fewer easy looks - and a bigger role in a team chasing a title.