It's been an up-and-down season for Payton Pritchard so far, but it looks like he may be finding some consistency. And that would be huge for the Boston Celtics, who need him to be on his A-game all season long.
Through 10 games, Pritchard has scored 28 or more points twice, but he has also scored in single digits four times. He had a game against the Chicago Bulls when he shot 7-for-10 from deep, but he also had two consecutive games against the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets when he shot a combined 0-for-12 from beyond the arc.
He's been red-hot, and he's been ice-cold all season long, but across his last three games (yes, it's a small sample size, but it's still something), Pritchard has averaged 11.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 41.4/47.1/100% shooting splits. It's still not great, but it's a step in the right direction.
The Celtics need Payton Pritchard to contribute this season
The Oregon native is going to be a big part of the Celtics' plans this year. It looks like he's locked in as their sixth man once again this year, and they're going to need him to provide some offensive firepower and shot creation for the second unit. Not only will this help Boston's depth, but it will take some pressure off of players like Jayson Tatum, Paul George, and Derrick White.
He's not the Celtics' most important player, but if Pritchard can take even somewhat of a leap this year, that will go a long way for them. They're looking to re-establish themselves as legitimate title contenders, and while they have been off to a great start so far (they're 8-2 and own the No. 2 seed in the East, only behind the 9-2 Philadelphia 76ers), there's still a ton of basketball left.
It's a long season, and the Celtics' questions were never about their outlook in the regular season; it was about their playoff viability. Can George and Mitchell Robinson stay healthy? Can Boston compete against the top teams in the league with Tatum carrying as much of a load as he is? Having someone like Pritchard, who can get hot at any moment and score from anywhere on the court, will only help them in the long run.
The Celtics need to see a little more from Pritchard before they can feel confident, but his recent performances have been promising.
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