Payton Pritchard compares the 2022-23 season to a redshirt year. The Boston Celtics guard opened the season trailing three veterans in Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon, who was acquired in July. Because of Boston’s depth, Pritchard averaged only 13 minutes per game and appeared in only 48 of the team’s 82 regular-season games.
“I kind of knew I wasn’t going to play unless guys got hurt,” Pritchard said at Celtics media day.
Pritchard was open to be traded in hopes of getting a chance to play elsewhere. He was set to become a free agent after the 2023-24 campaign, too, which understandably added to his desire for minutes. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, however, wasn’t about to give Pritchard away for nothing. He was too valuable, despite the fact his value was rarely on display on game day.
“So I went to work,” Pritchard said. “I worked on the areas that I needed to get better at, and got better on the areas I already was good at.”
He did so for one reason.
“When my opportunity does come, I truly believe I’ll be ready for it.”
Well, Pritchard’s opportunity is here.
The 2020 first-round pick figures to start the best chance of his professional career when the Celtics open their 2023-24 campaign Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Pritchard will have the opportunity to carve out a role as Boston’s third guard. He will spell offseason addition Jrue Holiday and White on a team that is the betting favorite to win an NBA title.
Pritchard believes he’s ready for the opportunity. The Celtics will need him to be.
While the Green feature a top six that is arguably the best in the NBA — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Holiday and White — it’s fair to think that group won’t always be available during the 82-game regular season.
Horford didn’t play the second night on a back-to-back last season. With Porzingis having dealt with injuries in the past, head coach Joe Mazzulla could opt to keep him on a bit of a pitch count, too. Perhaps Horford and Porzingis rotate during a back-to-back? And while Tatum and Brown aren’t of the mindset to take unneeded days off, perhaps their minutes also will be monitored with a mid-June run in mind.
There will be matchups in the dog days of the season — January, February, and March — in which Pritchard may be given 30 minutes or more. Those games are equally crucial in terms of playoff seeding. As Pritchard hoped, an opportunity would very probably present itself.
