Payton Pritchard has already taken massive strides in Boston ever since he joined the Celtics in 2020. Not only did he play a massive role in the championship run in 2024, but he has also reached new heights as a basketball player, establishing himself as one of the best bench players in the NBA.
Pritchard won the 6th Man of the Year award last year, and at age 27, he is only now hitting his prime. He will play a big role for the new-look Celtics after the offseason departures and Jayson Tatum's injury, and one rule change that was announced on Wednesday should benefit the fan favorite.
Payton Pritchard Will Love the NBA's New Rule Change
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the NBA is implementing a change for the 2025-26 season where end-of-period heaves won't be counted towards a player's field-goal percentage. Instead, they will be logged as a team field-goal attempt if they are missed.
Few players in the NBA like taking heaves more than Pritchard. He ranked seventh in the league last season with eight heave attempts, with Nikola Jokic leading the way with 22. If these attempts hadn't counted towards his three-point percentage last season, Pritchard would have shot 41.2% from downtown instead of the 40.7% he finished with. He may still be under contract for three more seasons, but being a more efficient shooter statistically will only help Pritchard in negotiations for his next contract.
Plus, the rule change likely means that Pritchard will try more of these shots. We will almost certainly see an uptick in heaves around the league if players aren't worried about their percentages. The Celtics will likely have more sets to get Pritchard the ball in these situations, as he has proven himself to be the best end-of-clock shooter on the team with his consistent postseason heroics.
While it's not certain that Pritchard will start for the Celtics when the season rolls around, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to close games for head coach Joe Mazzulla. The Celtics may want to keep him in the sixth man role he has thrived in over the last several years, and have Anfernee Simons be the starting PG to begin the year. The possibility of a Simons trade, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the Celtics this year and beyond, however, could push Pritchard into a starter and lead playmaker role.
Regardless of his role with the team, it looks like Pritchard will continue to deliver even more breathtaking last-second shots for Celtics fans.