Payton Pritchard is emerging as one of the most important players within the Boston Celtics rotation. The Oregon Ducks product has gone from strength to strength since entering the NBA as the 26th overall pick in 2020.
Pritchard currently leads the NBA in total points scored off the bench. He's also leading the league in total three-point shots made and attempted by a bench player. On Friday, he built on those impressive accomplishments by dropping 19 points in the fourth quarter of Boston's win over the Chicago Bulls.
The fifth-year guard displayed an array of scoring skills. He knocked down perimeter jumpers, attacked the paint, and worked in the mid-range, proving that he's a genuine pure scorer.
“The key to him, is he finds different ways to impact games,” Head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “But, he’s grown as a player over the course of his career. It was his shooting tonight, but that rebound he got (in the fourth quarter) was timely. Just his ball pressure and his defense. He’s a complete player — I know that sounds weird. But, he’s one of the best three-level scorers that I’ve seen, especially for his size, and he’s just a high-level competitor.”
On a roster teeming with elite offensive talent, Pritchard has carved out a niche role for himself as the second unit's driving force. As such, he is quickly emerging as a leading candidate in the Sixth Man of the Year race. When speaking to the media after Boston's win over Chicago, All-Star forward Jayson Tatum threw his support behind Pritchard.
“I say all the time, me and P, the same high school class, so I’ve been seeing that fearless competitive nature ever since we was like 13,” Tatum said. “It’s been pretty cool to see him grow into the player that he is, being effective on a championship team, and the things that he’s doing is Sixth Man of the Year worthy for me.”
Pritchard may struggle to be voted as the 2025 Sixth Man of the Year due to the amount of talent on Boston's roster. It's the same issue Tatum faces with his candidacy for the MVP Award. Nevertheless, the fifth-year guard is doing his best to make his case undeniable.
Having the support of Tatum, who is widely seen as a top-five player in the NBA, should help provide some credibility to Pritchard's recent performances. However, he can't afford to take his foot off the gas. Boston needs him to continue being the elite bench scorer we've seen to begin the season.
If Pritchard can keep this up moving forward, he may win more than Sixth Man of the Year, and that would lead to a second championship ring on his fingers.
