The Boston Celtics are preparing for their upcoming campaign with some preseason contests currently, and so far, they've looked pretty solid, picking up a pair of wins over the Philadelphia 76ers, while losing to the New York Knicks. There's always some good and bad to take away from the preseason, and it must be taken with a grain of salt, but the most encouraging development so far has been the play of Payton Pritchard.

After a season when he was buried on the bench behind the likes of Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon in the backcourt rotation, Pritchard seemed likely to get moved this offseason. Instead, Smart and Brogdon got dealt, and while one of those moves brought Jrue Holiday into town, it's clear that the talented undersized guard is set for a bigger role with the Celtics moving forward.

Pritchard inked a four-year, $30 million contract extension with the C's on Sunday afternoon, and if the preseason if any indication, that deal could be a steal for Boston. Pritchard is likely going to be one of Boston's first players off the bench this season, and while there are some concerns with his game, it looks like the Celtics are going to be in good hands with him leading the second unit's offense.

Payton Pritchard looks ready for new role with Celtics

Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics

After being selected with the 26th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Pritchard immediately carved out a role for himself in the Celtics rotation. Pritchard's rookie campaign, which was the best season of his career so far, shows what a spark plug he can be off the bench when he gets an opportunity to make an impact on the game (7.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 44 FG%, 41.1 3P%).

As noted above, the addition of more backcourt help lessened Pritchard's role, and it led to him unofficially requesting a trade in search of a bigger role. As it would turn out, that bigger role is going to come in Boston, where Pritchard will almost certainly be the first guard off the bench, assuming a similar role to the one Brogdon had last season.

The value Pritchard brings when he's on the floor comes on the offensive side of the ball. Pritchard is a skilled scorer who doesn't need a lot of volume to put together some impressive scoring tallies. Pritchard can operate on and off the ball, and he is one of the better catch-and-shoot guys in the NBA, even with his miniscule playing time.

Pritchard will likely be given more of an opportunity to run the offense off the bench this season, and while he doesn't have extremely high assist totals, he rarely makes poor decisions with the ball in his hands. Pritchard is skilled when running the pick-and-roll, but he also has the ability to create a shot for himself if the shot-clock is winding down and nothing else is developing.

All of these things have been on full display early on in the preseason, where Pritchard is absolutely torching opposing teams' reserves so far. Pritchard has been Boston's leading scorer in each of their first three preseason contests, and he's generally been doing so on good efficiency. Here are his numbers through those three games:

  • Oct. 8th vs. PHI: 26 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB, 9-14 FGM, 6-11 3PM
  • Oct. 9th @ NYK: 21 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB, 7-15 FGM, 4-11 3PM
  • Oct. 11th @ PHI: 17 PTS, 3 AST, 1 REB, 7-15 FGM, 3-9 3PM

You'd obviously like to see a bit more from Pritchard in the assist category, but if he's able to consistently score at this rate, nobody is going to complain. Again, it's worth noting that Pritchard is doing this against lesser opposition in the preseason, and he will likely have a smaller share of shots in the team's offense in the regular season, but it's tough to ignore how impressive he has been.

The main concern with Pritchard has always been his defense. This isn't to say Pritchard isn't a willing defender, because he is, but at 6'1, that puts a target on his back that opposing teams will be sure to pick on when he's on the floor. But even then, the concerns over Pritchard's defense are typically unwarranted, as he has a knack for racking up steals, and has always been a willing rebounder when on the floor.

Pritchard's declining role over the past two seasons was a bit frustrating because of how good he looked when he was on the floor. But heading into the 2023-24 season, it's clear he's going to be much more involved in the team's success this year. With a new contract in tow, Payton Pritchard has been cooking early on in the preseason, and if he can carry this momentum over to the regular season, an already dangerous Celtics team will become even more difficult to defeat.