When one thinks of the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, star players like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holliday, Al Horford immediately come to mind. Of course, being a championship caliber team with a deep roster, elite role players like Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White crop up as well.
There’s another player that is not so quietly becoming a big-name Celtic and although his name isn’t as household as Tatum or Brown, his growth, improved skills and flourishing role with the team is impossible to ignore: Payton Pritchard. Pritchard has proven to be a highly efficient scorer, especially from three-point-range and a surprisingly scrappy defender (his tough defense, like in this play against Luka Doncic was integral to the Celtics locking down the Mavericks in the championship).
According to six-time NBA All-Star and former Celtics player Blake Griffin, Pritchard’s determination, drive and fearlessness, even in Celtics practice sessions, is what has helped the 6’1,” 27-year-old guard blossom into an indispensable presence on the championship squad.
“This kid will play one-on-one with anyone at any hour of the day, all day, every day,” Griffin told ESPN. “And he is just torching guys. I mean, he’s going at [Jaylen] Brown, going at [Jayson] Tatum, he’s going at guys. And not to say they don’t get some stops every now and then. And not to say they weren’t going at people, too, but I was so impressed with just his mindset and then also his work ethic. This guy works his ass off.”
It’s a sentiment that Pritchard’s teammates have shared for a while now.
“I think Payton’s been excellent. He’s been great, and that’s what we need,” Jaylen Brown said after a Celtics win in November last season against the New Jersey Nets (a game where Pritchard yielded 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds). “He’s been a superstar in his role. … Now it’s kind of expected, because he’s done it so much. We got to keep encouraging him, finding him, and at times, even playing through him.”
Jrue Holliday, considered one of, if not the best defender in the league, said that Pritchard was one of the toughest payers on the team to guard.
“Payton’s cold, bro,” Holliday said, point blank.
Even Jayson Tatum is impressed with Pritchard’s on-court presence.
“Payton is one of the most confident guys I’ve ever been around,” Tatum said during the 2024 playoffs. “He walks out there like he’s the best player and to have that confidence is special. And we need him to be like that.”
Are you surprised with how Payton Pritchard’s intense play has impressed his Boston Celtics teammates? Do you think Pritchard has developed into a key player for the championship squad? Let us know in the comments.
