Boston Celtics: Payton Pritchard could be rookie to watch

After the 2020 NBA Draft, Boston Celtics were focused on Aaron Nesmith but Payton Pritchard could make the biggest impact this season.

When it comes to the Boston Celtics draft picks, Aaron Nesmith got a lot of the attention, but the C’s selection of Payton Pritchard should not be discounted.

Pritchard was selected 26th overall by the C’s. It wasn’t the flashiest of selections but you could tell on draft night that C’s fans were intrigued by Pritchard.

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Compared to most NBA Draft selections, you know what you will get from Pritchard. He spent four years at Oregon. In today’s basketball landscape that is a minor miracle for a program.

Last season Pritchard showed just how much he had progressed as a player. He averaged 20.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. Obviously, that is impressive in its own right but there are even more reasons for C’s fans to be excited about Pritchard.

The point guard is an amazing shooter. He shot over 41 percent from the three-point line and also shot over 45 percent from the field. That’s exactly what Boston needs off the bench.

Celtics fans sure must miss the days of Eddie House. They need that player who can come off the bench and start raining threes. Players like that can change the course of a game with just a few shots. Pritchard seems capable of being that guy.

It seems as though Pritchard has started his NBA career off on the right foot. He is already impressing teammates Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart as well as head coach Brad Stevens. That is a feat that should not be scoffed at.

Pritchard seems like a player who could head up the second unit. Marcus Smart could work more as a two guard when he is on the floor with Pritchard. The Celtics bench depth could be rather strong heading into this season.

Especially after Carsen Edwards, and Romeo Langford not having the best rookie seasons, the pressure will be on guys like Pritchard to step up. There’s no reason for Celtics fans to doubt Danny Ainge, but his rookies performing from the jump would only boost his stature among green teamers.

So Pritchard will be a player that C’s fans pay close attention to. He seems to have all the ability to be a key part of the rotation this season. The question is will he show up and perform once the regular season games begin?