The new-look Boston Celtics will have plenty of opportunity for new players to shine next season. Fans know what veterans Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard can offer, and assuming newly acquired Anfernee Simons is on the roster, he should be able to provide some offense. The fact remains that the Celtics are looking at replacing about 30% of their offense this upcoming season. The good news is that Brown, White, Pritchard, and Simons all can score. The downside is, none of them can regularly play power forward or center.
The hope would be that someone steps up and fills in for the departed Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and likely departed Al Horford, but that is no guarantee. It seems like the offensive burden will be shifted fully to the backcourt. This bodes well for the type of offense Joe Mazzulla runs, which is heavily focused on three-point shooting, at which the Celtics guards excel.
When it comes to All-Star games, the fans focus on the offensive end of the floor. That means players with high scoring and assist totals. For someone to make their first All-Star team, there typically needs to be a leap in stats, and usually, they already have a national profile. Last year's example was Tyler Herro.
Herro was a lottery selection in 2019. He was a key contributor to the Miami Heat's Finals run in 2020 and Eastern Conference Championship run in 2022. He previously won the 6th Man of the Year award in 2022. He saw a scoring output increase this year after Jimmy Butler left midway through the 2023-24 season. The Celtics have a player who matches this profile. A player who is in line for increased minutes and scoring, previously won a 6th Man of the Year Award, and has made multiple deep playoff runs, but never made an All-Star team.
Payton Pritchard Will Make His 1st All-Star Team Next Season
There are a lot of career similarities between Herro and Pritchard. While Herro is a more prominent scorer, some of that is due to opportunity. Herro has taken on a much larger role in the Miami Heat offense than has been asked of Pritchard, based on roster talent. Until last season, Pritchard could barely break 20 minutes a game with the talent on the Celtics roster.
Assuming that Pritchard shifts to a starting role, he'd be looking at 35 to 36 minutes a game, closer to what Herro plays. Looking at last season, that would bring Pritchard closer to 18 points, five rebounds, and 4.5 assists a game. That's in the ballpark of where Herro was last year.
Why not the other starting Celtics guard? Derrick White's candidacy likely peaked in 2024 when the Celtics dominated the Eastern Conference. White has limited upside in improvement. He's already playing starter's minutes, and unless his usage rate skyrockets, his stats will likely stay the same. Pritchard has the ability to play more and likely sees an additional usage rate increase as well, and Pritchard's style of play includes slightly more isolation ball.
Jaylen Brown is almost a lock this season to make the All-Star team, and he may even be a shoo-in to start. With the additional offense available, it makes sense for Pritchard to make the leap this year statistically and get the All-Star nod as a result.