Payton Pritchard Reveals Area Of Improvement After Breakout Season

The Boston Celtics road to repeating as NBA champions ultimately proved to be more daunting than initially expected. While several things that went the C’s way in 2024 didn’t go their way in 2025, one positive development throughout the season was the play of Payton Pritchard.

After being selected with the No. 26 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Pritchard immediately turned himself into a spark plug scorer off the bench for Boston. During their run to the title last year, he was crucial in helping the Celtics breeze through the playoffs.

Even amid his team’s success, Pritchard is obsessed with his craft, and he spent last offseason fine-tuning his game. The end result was the best year of his career, as he averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 47.2% from the field.

While he may not have won a title, Pritchard did win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award, a testament to his strong play off the bench throughout the year. And yet, after a career-year, Pritchard still isn’t content, as he recently revealed what he will be working on this offseason.

“Yeah, that work really paid off,” Pritchard said in an interview with the Celtics Chronicle. “This summer, I’m looking to expand my game in all areas. You can always continue to improve and refine all elements of your game. Both on offense and defense.”

Pritchard’s comments are precisely what members of the Celtics organization are looking to hear. That’s because his role could expand once again depending on how the offseason plays out.

With Boston in a salary cap crunch, the team could be forced to unload several players over the coming weeks. One guy whose name is prominently featured in trade talks is Jrue Holiday, and if he does end up getting traded, Pritchard would be the top candidate to take his place in the starting lineup.

Regardless of what ends up happening, Payton Pritchard is going to put in the work necessary this offseason to ensure that he takes another step forward next season. If he’s successful in his quest to improve, maybe the C’s will be able to remain a contender, even amid Jayson Tatum’s recovery from a ruptured Achilles.