by Pritchard is trying to change that narrative about his defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Payton Pritchard is in the midst of a breakout season for the Boston Celtics, but despite all his success so far, the 26-year-old point guard is anything but satisfied.
Pritchard is averaging 16.5 points, the highest of his career, along with 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and one steal per game. He also posted career highs with a field goal percentage of 48.5 and a 3-point percentage of 43.5. Pritchard’s 101 made three-pointers are the second-most in the league behind Anthony Edwards’ 108.
This isn’t just a hot phase either. We now have a legitimate sample of 26 games in which Pritchard plays at an elevated level.
The 2020 first-round draft pick is currently one of the top candidates for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.
But Pritchard knows there is still plenty of room for improvement. And he detailed what that looks like after he posted 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help the Celtics beat the Washington Wizards 112-98 on the road on Sunday night.
“I really want to be known as a two-way player,” Pritchard told reporters in his postgame press conference. “People like that – sometimes I see things that say I’m a defensive liability and that annoys me. Every game I go into I try to prove that narrative wrong.
“Trying to be a complete two-way player is something I will always strive for. If I can be known as an elite ballplayer and an elite offensive player, then that’s a big goal of mine.”
Pritchard also highlighted some specific things he wants to continue working on to improve defensively.
“I’m just making it difficult,” Pritchard said. “People in the league are going to hit hard. I could play great defense and they could still hit it… I could throw a hard hit with a person right in my net.
“You just come back and do it game after game, and at the end of the game their legs are a little tired so they miss their goal. That’s doing your job. Cause distractions, achieve thefts. Hopefully at some point I’ll get better at taking responsibility. I’m not the best at that. I need to keep working on that, but I can use my hands much better and wreak havoc. There’s still a lot of growth there.”
Pritchard is a very competitive player. He doesn’t back down and isn’t afraid of physicality. He has made good progress defensively since arriving in Boston, and given his work ethic, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him become a true two-way player in the near future.
