This season has been an up-and-down one for Payton Pritchard, who the Boston Celtics are banking on to take a big leap this year. They need his shot creation more than ever, and given that he's seemingly locked into his role as the sixth man, it's important for him to bring some offensive firepower off the bench.
Pritchard has been finding his groove in recent games, but his performance against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night was especially promising. He wasn't Boston's best player in the game (that award goes to Paul George, though Jayson Tatum was great, too), but he was instrumental in the team's win.
Payton Pritchard came up big against the 76ers
Against Philadelphia, Pritchard scored 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting (4-for-8 from deep) in 30 minutes. He also recorded six rebounds, five assists, and a steal.
The Oregon alum was awesome in every area of the game. He was getting to his spots and putting the ball in the basket (from deep and even getting to the basket). He was tenacious on the boards. And he was great at moving the ball around (Pritchard has shown off more of his playmaking/facilitation skills this season, and they were on full display against the 76ers).
Pritchard also hit a lot of timely shots, particularly in the third quarter when the 76ers started to make a run (he hit back-to-back threes after Philadelphia tied the game from down seven, not even three minutes earlier).
Whether it was to stop a 76ers run or build some momentum for Boston, Pritchard's scoring was huge for the Celtics, and he played a big role in their win.
Payton Pritchard is important to the Celtics' success this season
The 28-year-old provides so much value to Boston's offense as a spark plug off the bench, but he is much more than that.
Pritchard is an incredible rebounder for his position, and he has improved as a playmaker and defender. The Celtics know what to expect from him every time he steps onto the court, and when he's on his game, he can swing the game in their favor.
Things are looking good for the Celtics, who are 9-2 right now and own the No. 1 seed in the East), but it's about the long game for them. They need to stay competitive when the playoffs come around, and while a lot of eyes are going to be on players like Tatum, George, and Derrick White, Pritchard is going to be an important part, too.
Boston needs him to take some pressure off the rest of the guys in the starting lineup and to carry a lot of responsibility offensively (particularly as a scorer). He's shown time and time again that he's up to that challenge, and he proved it yet again on Tuesday.
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