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‘He is another guy we are extremely confident in’: Payton Pritchard makes a case for minutes
"When you get an opportunity, you’ve got to be ready to perform."
After scoring 16 points in the Celtics‘ 114-107 win over the Knicks on Saturday, Payton Pritchard was asked if his lack of minutes this season is frustrating.
“As a competitor, it is tough,” Pritchard said. “It’s a daily thing. But for me, I try to go to work every day, and I try to get better and better each and every day so when my opportunity comes like tonight, I can help my team win.”
Pritchard undeniably helped the Celtics win on Saturday — he shot 6-for-10 from the floor including 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and he was part of a Celtics bench unit that outscored the Knicks’ bench 47-3 (not a typo). It was his second game scoring double figures this season and just his third in which he played more than 18 minutes.
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That’s not a lot of opportunity for a sharpshooter who had a productive rookie season and was one of the best players at the last Las Vegas Summer League.
“It’s nothing that Payton has done or has not done that has limited the minutes there,” Ime Udoka said. “[I’m] from the same city as him, I’ve seen him in high school win state championships, watched him in college and have extreme confidence in him, knowing when he gets the opportunity, he’s always going to be ready. So it was good to see him do what he did, but not surprising.”
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Still, while Pritchard has done nothing to limit his own minutes, the Celtics limited them by bringing in Dennis Schröder this offseason. The Schröder signing would have been tough to pass up at $5.9 million on a one-year deal, and he has been undeniably productive — 17.1 points and 4.8 assists per game, an offensive punch the Celtics sorely lacked last season from their bench.
Schröder has been so effective, rival executives reportedly expect the Celtics to explore his trade value prior to the deadline. His 17.1 points per game would be difficult to retain no matter what else the Celtics do this offseason, and if the Celtics aren’t going to truly contend for a title, they could consider recouping some unexpected trade value.
Still, trading Schröder could be seen as a punt to the Celtics’ stars — a message the Celtics presumably have no interest in sending. For that reason, Pritchard’s little flashes look more intriguing in the light. Udoka noted that Pritchard is one of the team’s best shooters, which is both true and a little odd considering he topped 20 minutes in a game for the first time this season on Saturday.
If Pritchard is ready to contribute as the primary back-up, it could help the Celtics not only this year — when Pritchard’s 3-point shooting could crack open the lane for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — but also in preparation for next when Schröder presumably will be elsewhere.
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As an added benefit, Pritchard would have a chance to test himself with the primary unit. That might matter if the Celtics put together a generous trade package for a star this offseason. The Celtics currently entrust nearly 60 percent of their usage to Tatum and Brown. Marcus Smart and Schröder both have relatively low usage for their position.
If the Celtics are going to let Tatum and Brown create most of their offense — a solid strategy — Pritchard offers a different, more spaced look, and he wouldn’t need the ball in his hands to do it. Last season, he made 46.1 percent of his 3-pointers with zero dribbles. This season, he’s at 38.1 percent despite shooting just 33.9 percent overall behind the arc. Earlier this year, Smart complained about hanging out in the corners. For Smart — a high-level passer and creator who struggles to shoot — that offensive role wasn’t an ideal fit, but it could suit Pritchard perfectly.
“He is another guy we are extremely confident in,” Udoka said of Pritchard. “I’ve said it all year: He stays ready, he’s extremely hungry, he’s always in the gym ready. So you’re not worried about his preparation or not being ready when the time comes.”
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If the Celtics do end up moving on from Schröder — and if further roster shakeups are in the future — Pritchard might be the key. He’s young (at least in NBA experience), he’s cheap (by NBA standards) and he has the potential to be productive.
And of course, if you ask him, he’s ready.
“It’s what you get paid to do,” Pritchard said. “It’s a job and at the end of the day when you get an opportunity you’ve got to be ready to perform.”
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