Payton Pritchard’s summer work is no secret around the Celtics. For years, fans have heard the stories about the kind of one-on-one grind he puts himself through, hiring college players and overseas pros just to keep getting defended possession after possession. Now that obsession is getting a wider audience, thanks to an ESPN feature by Hallie Grossman on Monday that dug into the intensity behind it.
The piece centered on just how relentless Pritchard has been with his development, especially in isolated settings. One former coach told ESPN that the only other player he could compare that work to was Kyrie Irving. The story also traced Pritchard’s approach back to his earliest days, when he understood that being undersized meant he’d have to build an edge the hard way if he wanted to make it in the NBA.
That edge has shown up in his game. Pritchard has grown into one of the league’s most efficient isolation scorers, mentioned alongside names like Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic in a number of efficiency measures. He is obviously not on their level overall, and probably never will be, but Boston needs him to keep pushing closer to that tier.
That’s not all on Pritchard, either. The roster around him has changed dramatically in recent years, with Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown all leaving the backcourt picture and clearing the way for Pritchard to step into a bigger role this season.
That doesn’t just mean the Celtics need him to be the sparkplug scorer he has already shown he can be. It means they need him to function more like a second or third option who can give them 20-plus points a night.
That asks a lot, but Boston’s current shape makes it necessary. The Celtics have depth, yet outside of Jayson Tatum, they don’t have another player who can consistently get into the lane, beat defenders off the dribble, and create for himself and teammates.
That is exactly where Pritchard can tilt things. If he’s attacking the rim with Tatum, defenses are forced to collapse, rotations get scrambled, and the shooting around them should open up. That’s the path to unlocking another level for this offense.
It just hasn’t happened much yet. Pritchard logged only 27 minutes off the bench in Game 1, and against the Knicks he was barely involved, finishing with 4 points on 5 shot attempts.
In previous seasons, Boston had enough firepower to absorb stretches like that. This year, it can’t lean on that same cushion.
So the expectation has changed with him. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Pritchard has to be more central to what the Celtics are doing every night. For this team to reach its ceiling and give itself a real playoff chance, getting him to another level is no longer optional.
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Kevin Garnett Just Added A Wild Twist To How Boston Landed Him
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Garnett also said he weighed the fit carefully before making his choice, including reaching out for perspective on how things might work with Paul Pierce. The final decision came in a period when the Lakers were also in the picture, which makes the twist all the more striking in hindsight, especially given how his bond with Kobe Bryant later remained respectful and warm. Garnett was inducted into the Hall of Fame with Bryant in 2021, a fitting cap to a rivalry that never turned personal even as the path to Boston took an unexpected turn. [Read more 🡒]