When the Boston Celtics traded Marcus Smart this offseason, many began wondering if the team had made the right decision. Obviously Kristaps Porzingis can be an impactful player when healthy, but availability has not necessarily been a word associated with him through the years. Now, there are now questions that lie in the team's backcourt.

Derrick White has been named the starting point guard by head coach Joe Mazzulla and 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon still remains on the roster despite Boston coming close to trading him this offseason. However, Payton Pritchard may wind up being the biggest surprise for the Celtics this upcoming season, especially as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract.

Drafted 26th overall in 2020, Pritchard joined the Celtics as an experienced and accomplished collegiate athlete at Oregon. In the NBA though, he has not really been given an opportunity to prove himself. He sat behind Kemba Walker and Smart during his rookie year and he has been behind both Smart and White on the team's depth chart the last couple of seasons.

Set to become a restricted free agent in 2024, time is running out for the 25-year-old guard to make something of his first four years in the league. Opportunity just hasn't presented itself to the former All-American these last few years, which is why the 2023-24 season has a chance to be his best yet.

Even though he has barely played, there is a reason why the Celtics have not traded Pritchard over the last couple of years even though various teams have shown a level of interest in trading for him. Pritchard himself even made it clear this offseason that he was hoping to be traded. As things stand right now, Boston has no plans to trade Pritchard, which is why it is safe to assume that his role will increase in wake of Smart's departure.

What makes Pritchard an intriguing option in the backcourt is his basketball IQ. He just understands the game at a very high level and that is clear to see when he is on the floor. Pritchard is a really strong shooter, as he has shot 40.0 percent from three-point range since entering the league, and despite being just 6'1″, he understands how to break down a defense with the ball in his hands.

Just this past season, Pritchard played in a total of 48 games and he averaged 5.6 points and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range. The problem here was that of those 48 games he played in, he only saw 20 or more minutes in eight of them. In those eight games, Pritchard averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 44.0 percent from three-point range.

It is not a coincidence that his numbers increase the more time he spends on the court, as when Pritchard logged a career-high 46 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on April 9, the final game of the regular season, he recorded 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists while knocking down nine three-pointers.

This is the type of production the Celtics can get from Pritchard and this is the main reason why they have been hesitant to give up on him.

It never hurts to have depth in the backcourt. While he may not have a ton of experience from a minutes perspective in the NBA, Pritchard has been with three very talented Celtics teams through the years. He's been a part of a team that lost in the first-round of the playoffs, he's been a part of a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and he's been a part of a team that reached the NBA Finals. Experiences like these are invaluable and it has clearly helped Pritchard become a better player when his number is called.

This offseason, despite sending the notion that he was looking for a change in scenery, Pritchard has been working on his game a lot. There is an opportunity for him to see more minutes in the Celtics' rotations this upcoming season and a recent performance at a Pro-Am event in Vancouver has Boston fans raising an eyebrow.

Alongside former Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas at the Ball Don't Stop Pro-Am, Pritchard recorded an event-record 61 points. This was just the most recent scoring flurry Pritchard went on during an offseason event though, as he recorded 91 points during a Pro-Am game in Portland back in 2021.

Boston fans know what he is capable of, the Celtics understand the value he can bring and Pritchard himself knows what he can do on the floor. There are minutes to be had this upcoming season in Boston and while White and Brogdon are the focal points in the backcourt, Pritchard could wind up being one of the most impactful bench talents the Celtics have.

Should they give him the opportunity to shine, the former first-round pick will not let his team down.