Payton Pritchard Isn’t Just Holding His Own - He’s Redefining the Role Player Blueprint in Boston
When Reggie Miller compared Caitlin Clark to Payton Pritchard on a national broadcast last week, the reaction online was swift and loud. Clark’s facial expression - a mix of surprise and, maybe, disappointment - went viral in seconds. But while the internet debated whether the comparison was flattering or not, Pritchard himself didn’t blink.
“I don’t really look into that kind of stuff,” he said. “She’s a tremendous player, though.”
And here’s the thing: being compared to Payton Pritchard in 2026 isn’t a slight - it’s a nod to one of the most efficient scorers in the league right now. Sure, he may not have the household name cachet of a Steph Curry or Luka Dončić, but when it comes to getting buckets in isolation? He’s at the top of the NBA.
According to NBA.com, Pritchard is currently the league’s most efficient isolation scorer, converting a remarkable 63.5% of his shots on 1.8 iso attempts per game. That’s not just solid - that’s elite.
And for Pritchard, it’s not a surprise. It’s validation.
“I feel like it just goes to the work,” he said. “Every year, I get a little bit better.
I’m not making massive jumps from 10 to 20 points or anything, but I’m chipping away - more points, more assists, more impact. That tells me I’m on the right path.”
That path has led him to some of the best basketball of his career. Since the Clark comparison went viral, Pritchard has turned up the heat.
Over his last three games, he’s averaging 25.7 points while shooting 52.7% from the field and 45.8% from deep. And while he’s technically been coming off the bench, he’s logging more minutes (34.5) than his season average (32.7), showing just how vital he’s become to Boston’s rotation.
For Pritchard, the role doesn’t matter - starter, sixth man, spark plug - the mindset stays the same.
“Just come out and do what I do - hoop and help the team win,” he said.
And what he does on the court is becoming increasingly difficult to defend. One of the most impressive aspects of his game is the space he creates - even against elite defenders. He credits that to a combination of stop-on-a-dime quickness, strength to create separation, and tight handles that keep defenders guessing.
“It’s all three,” he explained. “Set them up with the handle, give them a little nudge, and then stop - that’s how I get that space.”
That bag was on full display Tuesday night when Pritchard came off the bench and dropped 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting. He hit 10-of-12 two-point attempts, slicing through defenders with a variety of moves: a reverse layup past Cooper Flagg, a fadeaway over Caleb Martin, a floater over Ryan Nembhard. No two shots were the same - and that’s by design.
“I’d still shoot it over Wemby,” Pritchard said, referencing a recent isolation possession against Victor Wembanyama. “I might change the trajectory of my shot, but I’m not worried about who it is.”
That confidence comes from a summer routine that’s as rigorous as it is creative. Pritchard spends his offseasons playing against a wide array of elite players - tall, quick, strong - to sharpen his counters and expand his shot arsenal.
“If I’m going up against somebody quicker, or stronger, or taller, you’ve got to get to a different spot, take a different shot,” he said. “That’s why I work on it.”
It’s paying off. In Friday’s comeback win over the Miami Heat, Pritchard was a game-changer.
After a quiet first half (just five points on 1-of-6 shooting), he erupted for 19 points in the second, going 7-of-9 from the field. His energy and shot-making helped fuel a 21-point turnaround - and his teammates took notice.
“Payton has just developed different aspects of his game,” Jaylen Brown said. “He’s always been a three-point threat, but now he’s using his body, getting to the midrange, finishing at the rim. He looks great.”
This version of Pritchard - confident, efficient, and versatile - has been years in the making. Back in the 2021-22 season, he found himself out of the Celtics’ rotation, buried behind Dennis Schröder and Josh Richardson. Then-head coach Ime Udoka had multiple one-on-one conversations with the young guard, assuring him that his time would come.
Udoka remembers those talks well.
“He was always who he’s been - confident, aggressive, but itching for that opportunity,” Udoka said.
That opportunity came when the Celtics cleared out the backcourt logjam at the 2022 trade deadline. Schröder, Richardson, and Romeo Langford were moved, and Pritchard’s minutes opened up. Since then, he hasn’t looked back.
“Ever since then, he’s taken off,” Udoka said. “You knew he was going to be ready for it.”
Fast forward to today, and Pritchard is not just a rotation player - he’s one of Boston’s most important offensive weapons. He currently leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio among players averaging at least three assists per game. He’s also the Celtics’ second-leading scorer this season, averaging 17.8 points on 49.1% shooting from the field and 42.1% from three - a sharp turnaround from an early-season shooting slump.
And when he’s rolling, like he was Friday night, he looks flat-out unguardable.
“I have a lot of tools in the toolbox,” Pritchard said. “So, I pull them out.”
Right now, he’s pulling out all the right ones - and making a compelling case that the Celtics’ offense doesn’t just run through their stars. It runs through Payton Pritchard, too.