Payton Pritchard’s journey epitomizes the timeless adage, “What a difference a year makes.”
After a season where he saw action in only 48 games, averaging a mere 13.4 minutes per game — both career lows—Pritchard was one of just 17 players to appear in all 82 regular-season games — a rare accomplishment in today’s NBA.
The 26-year-old had his best season as a pro, posting career-highs in points (9.6), shooting percentage (46.8%), assists (3.4), rebounds (3.2), and, most importantly, minutes (22.3).
Pivotal to Boston’s second unit, Pritchard emerged as one of the NBA’s most impactful reserves. Leading the league in offensive rating (122.8), ranking second in net rating (13.6), and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.6).
Pritchard’s impressive resurgence hasn’t slipped under the radar. Wyc Grousbeck, the one writing his paychecks, recognized it during an interview on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Friday morning.
“I love the way he’s playing and igniting things. He seems like he got another gear. He got quicker and more confident over the last half of the season,” Grousbeck said. “We made it clear to him and his agent that if you stay here, you’re going to get playing time – gotta earn it, but we want you here. Here’s a four-year deal. We locked him in over the summer, believing in him, and he’s risen to the occasion. It’s one of the major factors with this team playing well in the regular season.”
Pritchard has indeed been one of the major factors in the Celtics’ regular-season success. Alongside Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet, he has spearheaded a bench unit that has dispelled any doubts about Boston’s depth heading into the season.
Boston’s second unit outscored its opponents by +312 points this season, which led the league by a country mile. There was a 131-point disparity between them and the second-place New Orleans Pelicans (+181). With Pritchard on the floor, the Celtics outscored their opponents by +375, the highest mark in the league among reserves.
The contract extension he signed over the offseason is turning out to be one of the NBA’s best-value deals. Pritchard has undeniably stepped up when the team needed him most and will now have the chance to showcase himself further in the postseason.
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