The Boston Celtics’ roster shakeup on Monday, July 6th, opened the door for Payton Pritchard to step into an even bigger spot.
With the Jaylen Brown trade now official, Boston sent Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, 2 first-round picks, and two second-round picks. That move changes the shape of the Celtics’ rotation, and one of the biggest beneficiaries should be Pritchard.
Pritchard already logged the most meaningful stretch of his Boston career last season. He spent most of the year as a starter before Jayson Tatum returned, then slid back into the sixth-man role he held the season before. In all, he appeared in 79 of 82 games and made 50 starts.
Now, even with Tatum expected back to open the season, Brown’s departure leaves Boston with a real opening in the first five. Pritchard looks like the clearest candidate to fill it.
Last season, the Oregon native posted career-best numbers across the board, averaging 17 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He also played more than ever before, averaging 32.4 minutes per game. His efficiency dipped from previous seasons, but he still held up well enough offensively.
A return to the starting lineup would give Boston another scoring option next to Jayson Tatum and Paul George. It could also take some pressure off Derrick White, who had a down year on offense.
Still, there’s a case for keeping Pritchard in his old bench role. If he starts, the Celtics would have to find another player who can reliably score with the second unit.
That’s where the bench picture gets tricky. Sam Hauser would move back to the reserve group, but his game is better suited to playing alongside teammates who can handle the ball and set him up rather than asking him to run the offense.
Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez are the two players who would fit that need best. Both had stretches last season where they were asked to create for others, and both showed flashes. But neither has proven he can do it consistently yet.
That uncertainty is part of the reason Boston could still keep Pritchard as the sixth man. In that setup, the Celtics could use him as the main engine for the bench while leaning on players who are more comfortable controlling the ball around him.
Even so, the better path appears to be starting him. That would let Boston stagger his minutes with White, George, and Tatum so that two of those four are on the floor at all times. Those four would handle most of the offense, while younger players get chances to develop as secondary ball-handlers during the season.
For now, the exact lineup plan remains to be seen. But after the Brown trade, Pritchard should be preparing for the largest role of his NBA career.
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