Boston Celtics star thought ‘there was no chance’ he would play for team after being drafted

Looking back, Payton Pritchard didn’t like the idea of being drafted and representing the Boston Celtics.

In the recent episode of The Young Man and The Three Podcast, Pritchard bluntly confessed that he thought of having no chance to play and develop under the Celtics upon being drafted by the franchise as the 26th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.

“I thought there was no chance I was ever going to play. It’s going to be very hard to crack this rotation,” he said about joining the Celtics.

“But things happen, it’s a long journey, and I worked my way into there.”

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

No playing chance

During that time, Pritchard was coming off a fruitful four-year collegiate hoop run at Oregon. As the lead man of the Ducks, he powered the program to two Pac-12 regular season titles and was the country’s best point guard upon winning the Bob Cousy Award during his senior season.

Of all the things he achieved in college, Pritchard certainly has initial valid reasons to be pessimistic about his entry to the Celtics. In his first year for them in 2020-21, Pritchard found himself as the fourth-stringer guard as Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, and Jeff Teague were at his front within Boston’s point guard slate.

Besides, the Celtics are focused on competing for a championship, eliminating his chances to thrive and develop.

As such, he wasn’t even meant to be a Celtic in the first place as he revealed he didn’t even entertain the team during his pre-draft workouts.

“I only did two individual workouts that whole time and it was Toronto and Detroit that came to LA,” he said.

Blessing in disguise

Amid dilemma and doubts, arriving in Boston ended up becoming a blessing in disguise for Pritchard.

Contrary to what he initially thought, Pritchard managed to obtain significant playing time and exposure during his rookie season for the Celtics. He went on to emerge as a vital contributor for the team and in its contention plans.

With his talent and brilliance, Pritchard managed to draw the long-term commitment of the Celtics, signing a $30 million contract extension for four years in 2023. As such, the team’s trust paid off as the 26-year-old helped them capture their 18th championship a year later.

Pritchard has elevated his game to new heights this season as he is averaging 14.8 points, 3.7 boards, and 3.4 assists across 37 games — submitting an early strong candidacy for the Sixth Man of the Year honors.

In the end, Pritchard couldn’t ask for a better situation as Boston gave him the ultimate room for growth and the best spot for his young career.

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