The Payton Pritchard Effect

Everyone talks about those half-court shots and the clutch threes, but the true essence of Payton Pritchard’s game is how well he’s mastered the element of surprise. 

It’s in everything he’s done so far in his career: from being the Celtics’ No. 26 pick in the 2020 draft to, in just five seasons in Boston, inking his name in the record books by hitting multiple buzzer beaters in the Finals, winning a championship and now leading the Sixth Man of the Year race. Whenever the guard has the ball in his hands, he’s like a magician in his bag of tricks. The court vision and dazzling dimes. His ability to create plays off the dribble. The efficiency at which he shoots the ball, unafraid to let it fly whenever, over whomever, from wherever. Doesn’t matter if it’s 50 feet. 

Pritchard’s impact on the Celtics is evident in his ability to perform and deliver, especially when they need it most. But to do all of that while coming off the bench? That takes sheer confidence. 

“I definitely wanted to be considered in the conversation for one of the best players off the bench,” he tells us after shootaround one day. “I mean, obviously, with our team [and] the way we’re built, we are very talented. And our starting five, obviously it’s a lot of big names. So I felt like for myself to make a jump and be considered one of the best bench players in the League, that would only help our team. And I thought I was very capable of that.”

As of mid-January, Pritchard is leading the NBA in total points off the bench (895), which puts him above last year’s Sixth Man of the Year, Minnesota’s Naz Reid. Look up and down the stat sheet and you’ll see career-high numbers in almost every category: minutes played (28.2), field-goal attempts (10.6), an ability to shoot at a more efficient clip than in years’ past. He’s averaging 14.4 ppg—double what he averaged as a rookie (7.7)—on a career-high 47.9 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from behind the arc. 

During the offseason, Pritchard dialed in on refining those very aspects of his game. What we’re all witnessing now is everything coming into motion. “Just being able to shoot off the move and shoot off the dribble from three more, that’s definitely added levels to my game,” he describes. “I thought my mid-range and finishing was always really good and just continued to be good, but [I try to] just continue to be a complete ballplayer. Defensively, being more active.” 

At just 6-1, Pritchard is crashing the boards and averaging 3.8 trb and 1.4 offensive boards.

“It really just comes down to confidence, honestly,” Pritchard says, when asked what’s been the difference maker for him this season. “I’ve just been confident every time I step on the floor. That’s what I’m capable of doing, and I’m capable of helping [us] win at the highest of levels.” 

You know it’s real when you are who you think you are, and no one can deny Pritchard’s innate ability to be a spark for the Cs whenever he’s out there. In a win against the Pistons, Pritchard’s impact was everywhere en-route to a 27-point, 10-assist performance, from 27-foot pullup threes to assists to Queta to easy layups and big rebounds. “I thought he made big-time plays whether it was the offensive rebound, whether it was the play at the end of the game or just pushing the pace. You know, he kinda just has the ability to impact the game in different ways,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla after the game. 

Just last night against Portland, he dropped a career-high 43 points and knocked down a best 10 threes. Alongside teammate Derrick White’s 41-point performance, they’re the first Celtics duo ever to score 40 or more points in the same game.

The type of energy that he brings is what White called the “Payton Effect” on The Young Man and the Three podcast.

“I think it has something to do with the energy that it gives people,” Pritchard tells us, when asked about White’s comments. “The excitement, just the momentum swings and just me coming off the bench to come in with a spark and this new life of energy and the pace of play. The crowd gets behind it, too.”

In other words: he is just on a different wavelength. It’s when he’s playing freely and creatively that Pritchard does things that leave the crowd in total awe. Take for instance what happened in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic. With the Cs already up 112-89 in the fourth, Pritchard didn’t hold back when matched up against Wendell Carter Jr, who played solid defense but was no match for P’s artistic dribbling combos and elite footwork. Plus the step-back jumper he drained immediately after. 

“It’s definitely an art form,” he says about his approach to shooting. “I feel like there’s such a rhythm piece to it. It’s just allowing your body to be all in one motion when you shoot. That definitely helps.” 

His mindset is simple: Don’t think, just shoot. Whatever happens on the floor—including some of the craziest half-court buzzer beaters we’ve ever seen, which, might we add, he doesn’t practice but has obviously perfected—is all the result of just how much time and dedication he’s put into every aspect of his craft. What we’re witnessing now is someone just straight up hoopin’. “I’ve practiced and I’ve worked so many hours at it that I feel like when I shoot, the worst is when I start to think about my form, start to think about certain things, rather than just letting all the work I put in just come naturally,” he adds. “I try to harp on, Just let it fly. Don’t think. Be in the flow of shooting.”

Keep in mind, he’s doing all of this while on a championship squad that’s currently leading the NBA in threes. Not only is Payton shooting the lights out, but the Celtics are leading a three-point resurgence across the League, one that’s drawn a bit of criticism. But, in his opinion, if this is just one of the many things that makes them so lethal, why switch up now? “We have eight dudes on our team that could go off and hit five threes in the game very easily,” P explains. “We have eight dudes that are high-level shooters that make us very difficult, so you have to worry about every one of us. Now, a lot of teams don’t have that, and I think that’s what makes us different from most teams. You just have to worry about all of us when we’re on the court.” 

As a reigning champion, Pritchard knows there’s something bigger they’re all playing for, too: going back-to-back in the Finals and raising Banner 19. But when he looks back at how he’s gotten here and solidified himself as a key piece in their rotation, it all comes down to his ability to find balance. In the good and the bad. In the clutch performances and big-time plays. This is what he would tell a young Payton just coming into the League:

“[Don’t] ride the waves of the lows and the highs. Try to be balanced through it all,” he says. “I’ve learned that now, and I’m still learning that at times, but I’ve definitely gotten a lot better at it. But I feel like the thing that’s hardest for young players, especially in the League, is just the ups and downs. There could be a lot of nights where things just don’t go your way, or a lot of things are out of your control, but not letting it mentally affect you. But then obviously you’re gonna have a lot of good nights, but not riding that high too high either. Just maintaining that balance.”

To have his name be part of the Sixth Man conversation is an “honor,” he says. While it might come as a surprise to many, what it means to him is that all of those hours are paying off. Now it’s about keeping that same energy and more, every night.

“It means I’ve elevated to another level, which is from the work and stuff like that,” he says. “But we’re almost halfway through the year, so I got another halfway to go and show what I’m capable of. I’m just worried about game by game now [and] showing [that] every day.” 

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