Payton Pritchard Rumors

Payton Pritchard on Jaylen Brown: "You just used to seeing big things and think changes happen all the time. It always sucks to see a brother and a teammate that you played with for a long time go, but you move on and you are ready to go to war."

YouTube

Payton Pritchard on the addition of Mitchell Robinson: "I was his roommate when I was in college one time for USA. I think he is going to be great for us. The things we need, the rebounding, the toughness inside, he is going to bring it. Just adding to that big depth that we already have with Neemias and Luka, and then obviously Mitchell now, it is just going to be really good in that area."

YouTube

Payton Pritchard's goals for improving his game: "Maybe getting better at how to draw fouls now, not being a flopper but drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line more. I think I need to get better at that. It is technique stuff, learning when to draw the foul when they are being handsy. I have been working on it, and just adding to little footwork stuff and becoming even more efficient in that area, being a better finisher."

YouTube

With that in mind -- and with Pritchard now being the second-longest-tenured Celtics player behind Tatum -- the 28-year-old was asked if he's focused on signing an extension with Boston now that he's eligible. "No, I don't really think about it. It's just not something I'm really looking at," Pritchard answered. "I have two years on my contract and it's just, there's no rush on it. We'll talk, obviously, but we have a whole next year to talk about an extension. For me, it's like, just focus on getting better and becoming the best basketball player I can possibly be."

nbcsportsboston.com

"I mean, it's the NBA at the end of the day. It's part of the business. Things change," Pritchard said. "You lose close friendships, brotherhoods. We won the championship together, and I'm very grateful for the relationship I've had with JB, because he kind of took me under his wing, pushed me, made me better. And he's just a phenomenal player, so he'll be missed mightily. But at the same time, you have to turn the page and get ready for this next year and have a great year and go to war."

nbcsportsboston.com

There was a quote making the rounds that Jaylen Brown was the seventh-best player on the Celtics. Jaylen Brown grades out as the fifth most impactful player on the roster, behind Tatum, Queta, White, and Pritchard. But here's the context that matters: Brown also carried an enormous load. Last season, 35.2% of Boston's possessions ended in a Brown shot, free throw attempt, or turnover, one of the highest usage rates in the entire league. That usage cuts both ways. If Brown's role were reduced, his impact metrics could actually climb. Fewer possessions could mean better efficiency on offense and more energy to pour into his defense. So while I don't think any serious analytical person would call Brown the seventh-best Celtic, I do think it's fair to call him overvalued relative to his contract moving forward. And that's the real question the Celtics have to sit with: what is Brown producing in his current role, and what are they paying for it?

hoopinformatics.leaflet.pub

The Celtics trading Brown is a bet that Payton Pritchard is their in-house version of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, a diminutive player who didn't fully show his talents until Luka Dončić was out of the picture. The splits on Pritchard without Brown are intriguing to say the least.

Yahoo! Sports

League sources say the Bucks and Celtics have haggled over what pieces would be attached to Brown: the 27th pick? How many future firsts? Hugo Gonzalez? Payton Pritchard? The Celtics have been reluctant to give up much more than Brown.

Yahoo! Sports

White is one of three Celtics to finish in the top six this year, joining Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard. Their upper-tier finishes have something to do with the Celtics overcoming Jayson Tatum’s absence for most of the season to defy expectations and finish with a 56-26 regular-season record. One of the players who voted for White said: "Everyone is trying to say Jaylen Brown is an MVP candidate. They're wrong. White has actually been the biggest reason they're so good this season. He does everything — offense, defense, leadership — for them."

New York Times

Noa Dalzell: Asked (a very visible disappointed) Payton Pritchard how he balances processing a 56-win season with this outcome: “Just because you don't win a championship one year doesn't mean it didn't build for the next championship. So, when we won Banner 18, four years before that, we lost four straight — lost to Miami, lost in the finals. So those might have been disappointing years, but maybe those led to the championship. So, that's how I look at it.”

x.com

StatMuse: Celtics 3-point shooting in Game 7. Jaylen Brown: 3-9 3P Derrick White: 5-16 3P Baylor Sheierman: 0-3 3P Payton Pritchard: 2-7 3P Hugo Gonazlez: 0-3 3P Jordan Walsh: 0-2 3P Ron Harper Jr: 0-1 3P Luka Garza: 0-2 3P Sam Hauser: 3-6 3P Mazzulla ball.

x.com

Noa Dalzell: Payton Pritchard on the mindset after this loss: “I mean, it's disappointing. Every game you lose in the playoffs is disappointing. But the playoffs — every series is life of its own. You never know when you're gonna get it done. So, you gotta move on & get ready for Thursday.”

x.com

Mike Gorman: Payton Pritchard makes me want to come back! ☘️

x.com

In that spirit, Payton Pritchard hired a personal chef at the end of last season. He does whatever he can to treat his body well. He has added exercises to a stretching routine that he prides himself on doing, no matter what’s going on in his life. He has cut out drinking alcohol and limited how much bread he eats. Despite a sweet tooth, he has dropped cookies and milkshakes from his diet. Sometimes he will eat strawberries with a little bit of whipped cream instead. “That’s a better alternative,” Pritchard said. “Those differences over time build up.” Pritchard said changing his sleep habits worked. He tweaked his routine after games. He put away his electronics before bedtime, focused more on his hydration and at times used magnesium drinks. He believes it helped him play 79 games and gave him more energy throughout the regular season. “It’s stuff that everybody talks about,” Pritchard said. “But it’s like, can I do it?”

New York Times