The Kings didn’t exactly challenge the Celtics on Friday, but they provided Payton Pritchard yet another chance to further cement himself as a significant part of Boston’s rotation. He’s now finished in double figures four times in the last 10 games, knocking down 46.3% of his 3-point attempts.
“It’s huge. He’s obviously one of our best shooters,” Ime Udoka said after the 126-97 win. “The trick for him was to learn to play off the ball more and understand that we have Marcus (Smart), Derrick (White), Jayson (Tatum), Jaylen (Brown) that can all handle and create shots for him. At times, he’s a great screener and popper, and he mixes it up, and we bring smaller matchups into it. He’s done a great job of not just handling it but playing off the ball.
“And like I said, with him being one of our best shooters, guys are really looking for him. You can feel it, you can see it — they’re looking for him in transition. Adds another layer to our team, but the confidence part was always there for him, it’s just a matter of the opportunity.”
Look no further than Pritchard’s postgame comments about his 3-point shooting when looking for proof of that confidence.
“My shot’s always been there,” he said after his 5-for-5, 14-point performance. “Anybody in practice or anything knows that. A lot of times with people shooting, it just takes time to get in the flow.”
Pritchard isn’t entirely wrong about his shot always being there — he shot 36.4% from deep through January, which is comfortably above the 2021-22 league average (35.1%). But his 38.2 3-point percentage since February indicates he’s found ways to improve. Adjusting to playing off the ball may be that big change — one the guard doesn’t think twice about.
“At the end of the day, I’m a basketball player. So you can put me anywhere on the court, I’m going to try to make something happen,” Pritchard said. “In the NBA, you want to be able to play multiple positions. So for me, (it’s about) being able to play off the ball with Jaylen, Jayson, Marcus and Derrick and also with the ball. It’s a positionless league, so that’s all I’m trying to do.”
And with the way White has been shooting since he arrived in Boston, he’s better suited as a facilitator right now anyway. The Celtics’ trade deadline acquisition is doing a lot of things to help his team win, but he’s struggled scoring of late. His 3-point shooting has gotten worse since leaving San Antonio, and he was already having an abysmal year from beyond the arc.
Having Pritchard serve more as a shooting guard on the offensive end can help take some of that pressure off White.
“It’s big having guys that can space the floor and knock down those shots,” Tatum said. “(Pritchard) makes us more dynamic, and it builds confidence. There’s nothing better than seeing the ball go through the net, especially as a shooter. Happy for him and keep it going.”