Celtics Minds Discuss Whether Payton Pritchard Should Return To Bench Role
The Boston Celtics look like they’ve arrived at the right starting five: Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, Josh Minott, and Neemias Queta. So why consider tinkering things? Following Boston’s second-straight win on Wednesday, CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell discussed whether Payton Pritchard’s frigid 18.9 percentage from three this season should have the Celts considering moving PP back to a bench role. This would mean Simons would start.
“I haven’t liked the idea of starting Simons,” Manning said.
“I think Pritchard has earned that role, but if they want to tinker with some things there, (and) this lull continues for Pritchard, I don’t think it’s the worst idea in the world to return Pritchard to the role he thrived in last year and put Simons in a role where he’s been throughout the last handful of years in his career (in Portland).”
“I’m not there yet, but I’ll listen to anyone who thinks that’s a good idea,” Manning added.
Dalzell then asserted that while she feels moving Pritchard to the bench doesn’t make sense right now, it’s not like he’d let such a move affect his play.
“He was great a sixth man, and one of the things — when I spoke to him over the summer and I asked him about the starting thing — he said, ‘It’s gonna change a lot. It’s not a big deal. Nobody’s overly concerned about it.’”
“I think that’s true to how (the Celtics) feel,” Dalzell continued. “So I think if (he) got moved to the bench, it wouldn’t be (a) devastating blow … But I just don’t see (a reason to do that) from just watching him play right now. I just think he’s been a great fit in this lineup. Him, Derrick, and Jaylen have been a great trio together. It’s simply that he’s been struggling from the outside.”
Pritchard and the Celtics will continue their regular season on Friday with a road game against the Philadelphia 76ers.