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Payton Pritchard is the Celtics’ Gentleman in the 4th

Payton Pritchard got frustrated more than once this season.

Wearing a face mask in the fall after a broken nose, struggling to shoot in spot minutes and quickly gone from Ime Udoka’s short rotation, he became invisible on a team he shined on early and often on as a rookie. He racked up six DNP-CDs and averaged 9.3 minutes per game during the first 29 games of this season, stuck behind Marcus Smart and Dennis Schröder in the point guard hierarchy.

“I’ve seen Payton forever going back to high school so I know him well,” Udoka said at the beginning of March. “He was a guy that I was least worried about but it all comes down to opportunity and taking advantage of it. He was a guy that I was very confident in. We’ve had some discussions about being patient and continuing to work and staying ready for these opportunities and, obviously, when Dennis and (Josh Richardson) left, it opened up some minutes. So I was never worried about him.”

Pritchard wore the exasperation on his face through misses, and when Udoka nit-picked his positioning and decisions from the sidelines. He even joined the deeper section of the Celtics’ bench for collapses that forced Boston’s starters back into games during garbage time, which drew further Udoka ire in January and February.

The slumping sophomore guard couldn’t win. Then, as Udoka noted, Brad Stevens cleared out Richardson and Schröder at the trade deadline with only Derrick White brought back in the back court. Pritchard suddenly had ample opportunity to rejoin the rotation, and he became a bench staple, averaging 6.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 15.8 minutes per game on 45.8% shooting and 41.1% efficiency from deep since Feb. 11.

He’s carved out an important role in fourth quarters, not quite the King in the Fourth like Isaiah Thomas, his role is more subtle and complimentary. Transitioning away from having the world circulate around his ball-handling became a challenge for a decorated scorer since high school, needing to move toward doing more with less. Pritchard’s been sprinkling 1-2 big shots during the opening rotations into the final quarter, and that’s what the Celtics need from him.

On Friday in Sacramento, he delivered three shots from deep to start the fourth quarter as part of a 14 point, eight assist night, the high mark of his frustrating season. A Kings comeback attempt in the third pulled them from down 23 points to within nine, then Pritchard’s run extended the Celtics from ahead 92-79 to putting the game away up 103-83 midway through the fourth quarter. Boston went on to win, 126-97.

“People want to look at stats and numbers, but at the beginning of the year I’m playing at the very end of games and different minutes,” Pritchard said. “My job is just to come in be ready, knock down shots, play hard defense, make plays. Be a winning player. For me, once that trade deadline happened, that was my mindset, to come in and compete and keep earning more trust from the coaches.”

With shotmaking at a premium on the Celtics, the team shooting 34.7% (20th) from three this season, and White, Pritchard’s bench partner, falling into an 0-for-16 slump from the field before two late makes Friday, Pritchard might even be called upon come playoff time considering his most reliable skill. He’s now 40% even in his career from three on 428 tries.

Last season, Pritchard finished fifth among players who attempted at least 167 catch-and-shoot threes (46.7%). That’s down to 36.1% this year, the same as Smart, and 33.3% from the deadline as he continues to adapt to making the most of fewer shots. Stevens utilized him liberally with Kemba Walker and Smart fighting injuries throughout the 2020-21 season.

An expanded role and opportunity to gain rhythm always correlated with improved play. Pritchard’s central role on the Celtics’ Summer League team resulted in him playing some of the best basketball at the entire showcase. During late-December, with Schröder and Richardson in COVID protocol, he averaged 30 minutes for six games and scored 13.5 PPG on 38.5% three-point shooting. His per-36 stats since the deadline fall in a similar place, 15.4 points and 5.5 assists.

That kind of run isn’t in the cards as the Celtics cement themselves around a switch-everything defensive identity. Pritchard’s ability to survive in it remains admirable though, showing surprising strength fronting opponents.

Boston’s defense routinely anticipates attempts to isolate Pritchard by scramble switching him out of the lane. The Celtics are allowing an elite 99.1 points per 100 possessions since the deadline with him on the floor.

“He’s obviously one of our best shooters,” Udoka said. “The trick for him was to learn to play off the ball more and understand that we have Marcus there, Jayson, Jaylen, they can all handle and create shots for him, and at times he’s a great screener, popper, and he mixes it up and we bring some smaller matchups into it. So he’s done a great job of not just handling it, but playing off the ball … guys are really looking for him, you can feel it, you can see it. They’re looking for him in transition. It just adds another layer to our team. The confidence part was always there for him. It was just a matter of opportunity.”

The Celtics want to solidify their second unit and rotations over the final 11 games of the season, Udoka emphasizing the full integration of Daniel Theis and White after their deadline acquisitions. They’re trying to implement Theis into the defense, while finding the spots and plays that work best for White after he started his Celtics stint 37.2% from the field and 22.2% from three.

Pritchard’s part of that dynamic too, and with rest also on Udoka’s mind as seeding becomes more clear there could be games coming up where his role is increased. They don’t have a deep bench, with the focus more on substitution patterns and combinations right now. Pritchard can extend deeper into crunch time if White is struggling.

That’s important as the team searches for spots where Pritchard can work on his playmaking, the emphasis of his summer and still the most raw part of his game. Ball-handling and pick-and-roll creation won’t be important for the postseason, but are everything for Pritchard to become a reliable, competitive player against opposing starters further into his career.

For now, he’s part of a Celtics second half where more and more keeps going right. Championship teams usually feature full health, good matchups, career seasons from the top right through the back end of the rotation. Pritchard may be the most minor factor in the big picture, but it’s easy to picture him hitting those two shots in the fourth quarter that swing a playoff game.

He extended Boston’s lead to 83-69 against the Warriors with a jumper, hit a game-tying three against the Mavericks and another plays later to boost Boston ahead by five, after pushing the Celtics’ lead over Detroit by double digits with four points midway through the fourth last Friday.

Boston might’ve beaten Dallas if he was even more aggressive with the Mavericks trying to take Tatum and Brown out of the game with blitzes and counters. He hesitated several times playing late when he had open space, trying to make an extra pass or get the ball back to the stars.

Pritchard plays a small role. So did P.J. Tucker and Pat Connaughton last year, and Alex Caruso and Norman Powell’s once upon a time.

“They’re trying to take me away as well,” Brown said after Boston’s win over the Warriors. “After they blitz. They don’t want me to get going, so they try to make other guys  play … just keep trying to play make, get other guys involved, and continue to get team wins. We still got a lot of room to grow, so that’s the dope thing about it.”

 

Bobby Manning

Boston Celtics beat reporter for CLNS Media and host of the Garden Report Celtics Post Game Show. NBA national columnist for Boston Sports Journal. Contributor to SB Nation's CelticsBlog. Host of the Dome Theory Sports and Culture Podcast on CLNS. Syracuse University 2020.

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