One of the players on the Boston Celtics that I have high expectations for next season is Payton Pritchard. Last season saw Pritchard take on his biggest role with the Celtics yet, and he turned in a career season. The Oregon alum started in 50 of the 79 games he played and averaged 17 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. All were career highs.
His efficiency did slip slightly, but it was an overall successful season for Pritchard. Following the Jaylen Brown trade, Pritchard's role within the Celtics offense could increase again, leading to him taking another leap in his play. Looking ahead at the season, one question I have regarding Pritchard is whether or not he'll be a starter when the season begins.
During last season, Pritchard was a starter for the majority of the season, after starting only 17 games in his first five NBA seasons. He moved to the bench following the trade deadline in February. This was in part due to the Celtics trading away Anfernee Simons and wanting to add scoring off the bench.
So, should Pritchard be a starter on opening day or should he come off the bench?
The case for the Celtics starting Payton Pritchard
The main reason you'd start Pritchard is that you'd look to start your best five players. If you start your best five, Pritchard would be in that group along with Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and either Neemias Queta or Mitchell Robinson. Sometimes it's as simple as starting your five best players.
Another reason is that outside of Tatum, it's fair to have questions surrounding Boston's starters offensively. White had a down year last season shooting-wise, and it isn't a guarantee he'll return to form. George is an older player with injury concerns who could miss stretches of time throughout the season.
Having Pritchard in the starting lineup as the secondary creator would alleviate the pressure on both of them and could help them have good seasons. When looking at the other potential options to start, the 28-year-old is far and away the best offensive option. Not just from a scoring perspective, but from a playmaking perspective.
Assist-wise, Pritchard finished third last season for Boston, just trailing White (5.4) and Tatum (5.3). While I expect Tatum to have a higher assist average next season, I don't think it's an incorrect statement to say Pritchard is the second-best facilitator on the team. Giving Tatum another playmaker in the starting lineup would be a smart decision.
The case for the Celtics keeping Payton Pritchard on the bench
Going back to the point about Pritchard's scoring ability, it could be handy to have him off the bench, given that the rest of the options aren't as proven as he is. If he starts, you don't have a true creator coming off the bench, which could cause issues offensively. Having Pritchard in that role would help the bench offense.
Boston could also feel confident in both White's and George's offensive abilities, and it would prefer an off-ball player to round out the group. We saw that last season with Boston running either Sam Hauser or Baylor Scheierman as the starter after Tatum returned from injury.
Lastly, Boston could look for another defender to round out the starting five. Though Pritchard has improved on the defensive end, his size can be limiting in certain matchups. Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh are both better on that side, and if the Celtics want more of a defensive presence, they could get the start over Pritchard.
Boston should keep Payton Pritchard in his sixth man role
When the season begins, I do believe that Pritchard will come off the bench, as I think that role would be what would be best for the team.
My main reason being that I think they'd want to have his scoring off the bench. It was one of the reasons he went back to the bench last year, and I think that will stay the same when the season begins.
With that being said, I wouldn't be shocked if he does start and is closing games for Boston (which he should do no matter whether he starts or is off the bench). Pritchard's offense is too valuable to leave on the bench in close game situations.
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