Payton Pritchard, who in just one month inked a multi-year deal extension with the Boston Celtics, is off to a poor start in the NBA. Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon were traded over the offseason, giving Pritchard a bigger role as the team’s starting backup point guard. Pritchard is averaging 3.1 points and 3.7 assists in seven games during 18.7 minutes per game in the 2023–24 campaign. Among them is the fact that Pritchard has failed to score in four of his previous five outings. Pritchard has not scored ten points or more in a game all season, with the exception of a resounding victory over the Indiana Pacers. Pritchard is shooting an even poorer 15% from beyond the arc and a pitiful 23.5% from the field overall this season. We’re just a
Payton Pritchard: Is it Time to Hit the Panic Button?
Why Payton Pritchard’s Start is Concerning
Arguably, the biggest weakness of an otherwise fantastic Celtics team this season was their depth. In addition to Smart and Brogdon, the Celtics lost Grant Williams and Robert Williams this offseason. These are both guys who were key contributors to the team. Moving long-time big man Al Horford to the bench was one thing the team did to boost their second unit. Beyond him, however, there were many question marks going into the season. With that, all eyes were on Pritchard, who played good basketball in his three-year Celtics career to this point
Pritchard was expected to be the point guard of the second unit who could provide bench scoring next to Horford and Sam Hauser. And after an impressive preseason, it looked like Pritchard was up to the task. However, so far, it seems like Pritchard may not be the bucket-getter he appeared to be
It should be noted that Pritchard’s poor performance would not be as big a deal if the rest of the bench were excelling. The second unit’s leading scorer is Hauser, averaging 8.1 points per game. To Hauser’s credit, however, he has scored 41 total points in three of his last four games and appears to be figuring it out. Last season, the Celtics’ best bench scorer was Brogdon, averaging 14.9 points per game en route to the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award with Boston. That is nearly a seven-point difference. The reason all of this is relevant? If there were a clear, solidified scorer on the bench, Pritchard would not have these high expectations. This makes his poor scoring performances an even bigger deal than they would be.
The Last Word on Pritchard
To be blunt, Pritchard is playing the worst basketball of his career with the Celtics. There is no other way around it. This season is supposed to be his chance to shine. As it is, he looks like a deer in headlights most of the time instead. That said, it is not even close to time to hit the panic button.
Even if the Celtics guard’s play has been concerning, it’s important to keep in mind that the NBA season is lengthy. In the larger scheme of things, one seven-game span is not that significant. In the NBA, patience is essential. Pritchard does have poor scoring statistics, it is true. He does, however, frequently make hustling plays that are not recorded in the stats. Pritchard, whose shot isn’t falling, nevertheless finds other means to get his point over. It’s also critical to keep in mind that Pritchard is no longer a rookie. We are aware of his style of play and his potential when he is hot. In the end, it remains to be seen when Pritchard will adapt to his new position completely. Nevertheless, he’ll probably lose it.
Conclusion: Don’t panic just yet. This season, Pritchard ought to break out of his slump, just as Hauser has. That being said, there is reason for alarm and it is something to monitor.
Not gonna happen. A never was and a never will be. Sorry.