Right here we’re as soon as once more: it’s installment quantity seven of CelticsWeblog’s Participant of the Week. We’ve received three video games to work with this time round, all wins because the Celtics kicked off their undefeated west coast street journey: Wednesday in opposition to Golden State, Friday in opposition to Sacramento and Sunday in opposition to Denver.
As all the time, our disclaimer: “Participant of the Week” doesn’t essentially translate to “Finest Participant of the Week.” The concept of this award is to spotlight difference-makers from the previous week’s video games, and to be sincere, a strict deal with “greatest” would result in this award pinballing backwards and forwards between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They’re the group’s star gamers, and a very powerful and impactful gamers on the courtroom even on their worst capturing nights.
Repeatedly writing about these two, whereas deserved, can be just a bit bit much less enjoyable. For that motive, we’re going to broaden our requirements somewhat bit to introduce somewhat extra range within the outcomes. The 2 are eligible for the award, after all, however the bar for them is just a bit bit larger.
After three weeks of praising the Jays, the disclaimer as soon as once more turns into related, as we’re venturing right down to the again finish of the rotation this week.
CelticsBlog Participant of the Week #6: Payton Pritchard
3 GP, 19 MPG, 14 PPG, 75% FG, 71% 3PT, 4.3 APG, +54
The NBA went forward and stole our thunder, naming Jayson Tatum as their Player of the Week yesterday. However after consecutive weeks taking house the {hardware} right here on CelticsBlog, Tatum goes to must accept an honorable point out this time round. It’s time to share the highlight somewhat bit, and the way higher to do this than to debate one of many extra sudden performances of the 12 months?
That’s proper, we’re speaking about second-year guard Payton Pritchard, contemporary off every week during which he very actually couldn’t miss. That’s no misprint up above — Pritchard linked on three-quarters of his shot makes an attempt this week, together with an ideal 11-for-11 throughout Boston’s matchups in opposition to Sacramento and Denver to shut out the week. Tatum might have been sensible this week, and Marcus Sensible is constructing his Defensive Participant of the 12 months case whereas having fun with the most effective offensive stretches of his profession, however Pritchard’s week was too foolish and an excessive amount of of an outlier to be ignored.
@ Golden State: 18 MIN, 10 PTS, 44% FG
By itself, Pritchard’s recreation in opposition to the Warriors isn’t essentially the most outstanding. He received 9 photographs up, making 4, together with 2-of-6 from the three-point line. It’s a efficiency price mentioning as a result of of its mundanity, although. That is what the Celtics want from Payton Pritchard — assured scoring punch from vary. Outdoors of Tatum, Brown and Grant Williams, Pritchard is essentially the most gifted three-point shooter on the roster, and the group wants him to let these photographs rip even once they aren’t all falling.
That is what units Pritchard aside from somebody like former Celtic Josh Richardson as a shooter. Richardson definitely put up good outcomes from vary throughout his time in Boston (and is to date capturing practically 49% from behind the arc in San Antonio), nevertheless it got here on pretty low quantity at simply over three makes an attempt per recreation. He was a knockdown shooter, to make certain, however didn’t all the time bend the opposing protection as a lot as you may anticipate, given how typically he would cross up these photographs.
Pritchard, in the meantime, is simply flat-out able to bomb. Over his previous 10 video games, he’s averaging greater than 4 makes an attempt per night time in simply 16 minutes of taking part in time. If he will get a very good look, he’ll take it, and the protection has to respect him in consequence. And naturally, it helps issues that he’s capturing higher than 50% from deep over that span of time, too.
@ Sacramento: 20 MIN, 14 PTS, 100% FG, 4 3PM, 5 REB, 8 AST
@ Denver: 19 MIN, 17 PTS, 100% FG, 5 3PM. 3 AST
Aaand right here’s what it appears to be like like when these photographs are all falling. Pritchard has the correct mixture of ability and audacity to be a real microwave scorer from vary, and this serves as a fantastic (if excessive) instance of what he can deliver to the desk. Boston’s ball motion has been buzzing all through their second half surge, and Pritchard suits into that equation seamlessly. Typically it’s so simple as attending to the correct locations on the proper occasions.
It’s essential to do not forget that off-ball motion is a ability. The NBA’s nice shooters are largely terrific at working with out the ball of their fingers, sustaining offensive spacing and creating appears to be like for themselves by discovering holes within the protection. I’m a giant fan of this explicit play from Pritchard, the place he acknowledges the turnover because it occurs and will get himself to the nook to catch the feed from Williams earlier than the protection can reset itself.
These aren’t all open, straightforward photographs, although. Pritchard is some extent guard by commerce, and he can definitely deal with the ball somewhat bit. Creating dribble pull-ups within the pick-and-roll like this can be a good little cherry on high of the Celtics’ offense.
Talking of level guard abilities, 11 assists versus only one turnover was some good work from Pritchard by means of these two video games. That is one avenue of future development for him; he’s by no means going to be the tip of the spear for an NBA offense, however having the ability to preserve the ball shifting as a secondary playmaker would assist his slot in Celtics lineups.
The brand new 12 months has been crammed with heroic performances for the Boston Celtics. Within the grand scheme of issues, this little outburst from Pritchard may not be as memorable as Tatum’s scoring binge or Al Horford’s revitalization, however for my cash, it’s definitely one of many funniest. On the night time that Tatum surpassed Ray Allen for third place on the Celtics’ all time three-pointer checklist, Pritchard shot his way into history as properly: he grew to become the fourth participant in NBA historical past to shoot 100% from the sphere in consecutive video games with no less than 4 three-point makes an attempt, becoming a member of a hallowed group consisting of Brent Worth, Rodney Rogers and Dylan Windler. Wow!
The Dennis Schröder commerce gave Pritchard a possibility to carve himself an actual place within the Celtics’ rotation after an nameless begin to the season. In response, he’s risen to the event, barreling by means of his sophomore hunch and changing into an every-night participant. It’s all the time enjoyable to spotlight notable performances from function gamers in areas like this, and this was a very enjoyable week to interrupt down. A well-deserved Participant of the Week win.
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Pritchard made 11 three-pointers final week. Naturally, we’re not utilizing any of them.
That is simply such a Prichard play to me. He primarily places his complete physique, bull-in-a-china-shop fashion, into Domantas Sabonis’ private house to pry the ball free for the steal, then runs the size of the ground and challenges 6-foot-4 Donte DiVincenzo on the rim for the quick break layup. That’s the form of confidence wanted to reach the NBA once you’re a six-foot tall bench guard who appears to be like like Sid from Toy Story.
That’ll do it for this week’s CelticsBlog Participant of the Week. Subsequent up, the Celtics shut out their street journey with a go to to the Oklahoma City Thunder (which they received final night time), earlier than returning house to host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday and the crimson scorching Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. As all the time, hold forth within the feedback on who you suppose may step up subsequent, and we’ll see you subsequent week.
