One Player Who Will Break Out for the Celtics This Season

Apr 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) reacts after making a there pointer during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Payton Pritchard broke out in a huge way for the Boston Celtics this past season.

The 27-year-old averaged a career high 14.3 points per game en route to being named the Sixth Man of the Year. Pritchard’s effectiveness jumped up several levels when given extended playing time. From creating for his teammates to being aggressive looking for his own shot, Pritchard has proved himself to be indispensable for the C’s.

At the same time, is there another gear to hit for Pritchard to potentially become an NBA starting-level point guard?

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Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston recently delved into the topic of Prichard and Anfernee Simons in terms of who will start between the two. Simons may lack the experience Pritchard has with the Celtics — though he’s gone through the rigors in being a starter previously in Portland with the Trail Blazers.

Payton Pritchard has the best highlight from a role player of all time https://t.co/TXKvmV6uqD pic.twitter.com/Dttq8PKiaQ

— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) August 14, 2025

Based on what Forsberg wrote about Pritchard, it appears as if he’s very high on the Oregon native.

“Last season, Pritchard averaged 19 points, 5.3 assists, and five rebounds over 10 games played without Tatum. He was at 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in 19 contests without Jaylen Brown," Forsberg noted. "If the Celtics outkick expectations early in the 2025-26 season, either Pritchard or Derrick White is making an All-Star team. The opportunity is there.”

Much of this projection has to do with usage. Pritchard has been the straw stirring the proverbial drink for his teams dating back to when he was a multi-time high school state champion in his native Oregon. While in college with the Oregon Ducks, he yet again was ‘the man’ orchestrating everything — and that led to Pritchard becoming not only one of the best players in college basketball, but also a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

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With Tatum sidelined, there undoubtedly will be more opportunity for Pritchard to be a more ball-dominant player. While Derrick White is fully capable of orchestrating himself, he may be better suited playing in an off-the-ball capacity.Holiday’s absence also opens up more of a role for Pritchard to stake his claim as a starter.

Should Simons be viewed as simply a rental (which most people assume him to be), there’s a higher likelihood the team would invest in Pritchard getting those starter minutes given the development it could lead to, and also since he’s on the books for the foreseeable future.

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