It’s in all probability been a whirlwind 2023 for Payton Pritchard. From the lows of stumbling out of the rotation and requesting a commerce, to what’s in all probability the spotlight of his life: hanging out with Isaiah Thomas.
The commerce request finally led to the alternative. As an alternative of leaving Boston, he was given a chance. With Marcus Good out the door and solely Delano Banton in at his place, Payton Pritchard ought to see his function enhance. The 2022-23 season and the arrival of Malcolm Brogdon noticed Pritchard’s enjoying time drop 350 minutes from the earlier season, it was each predictable and disappointing for Pritch-stans.
Now, the carpet has been rolled out for the newlywed. One of many three huge minute guards forward of him is gone, his minutes will nearly definitely creep up, seemingly near or exceed the 21-22 season (1000 minutes).
A fast take a look at PP’s superior stats might carry some concern with him serving a bigger function. His internet score is troubling. Sitting at +1.4 this previous season and +2.2 within the 21-22 season; these rank final and thirteenth on the Cs respectively (amongst gamers that really performed, aka the non-Broderic Thomas division). As a sensible man as soon as mentioned, “not nice.”
However there’s hope for Payton. Like a sensible previous hermit, the protagonist runs into in the course of the forest, Jayson Tatum gives steering and goal that modifications issues for Pritchard (please ignore the truth that Pritchard is definitely older than JT for the sake of this rushed and poorly thought-out metaphor).
Picture by Brian Fluharty/Getty Photos
Tatum makes everybody’s life simpler, and that’s mirrored in the truth that practically everybody’s internet score improves after they play with him. There’s maybe no participant the place that’s extra profound than Payton Pritchard, nonetheless. This previous season, PP’s internet score elevated by 7.5 factors per 100 possessions when he performed with Tatum. The season prior, it rose by an astronomical 18.0 factors per 100 possessions higher after they shared the courtroom. That’s, in a phrase, obscene.
The difficulty with the quantity in 22-23 is that at +5.3 after they performed collectively, it’s nonetheless worse than the Celtics as a complete. One may argue that Pritchard enjoying hurts the group. The truth is, it might be onerous counter that argument final yr. However the reverse is true of 21-22, the place Tatum and PP had a +11.8 internet score collectively, effectively away from the group’s internet score of seven.4. So, what occurred?
That’s an advanced query that’s one half Payton Pritchard, one half Malcolm Brogdon, and one half Joe Mazzulla. PP, for the primary time in his NBA profession, shot beneath 40% from three. That’s nearly solely defined by an unexplainable drop in his taking pictures from the corners, the place he barely eclipsed 30%, whereas taking pictures 39% above the break. Going from 40+% to round 36% isn’t profession ending, nevertheless it actually eats into the worth of a man like Pritchard, who’s major offensive skillset is taking and making threes.
I say Malcolm Brogdon is at fault not due to some devious plot by Malcolm to undermine Pritchard’s function on the group. Though, that might be unimaginable content material. As an alternative, it’s as a result of he’s merely a greater participant, and in a crowded backcourt, PP was deservedly the odd man out. An absence of enjoying time results in a smaller pattern measurement and fewer consolation in your function; each can add as much as a profession low taking pictures share.
Now we flip to Joe Mazzulla. I feel Joe was a fairly ingenious offensive coach final season, however he was not ingenious with Payton Pritchard and did him no favors. Concern one, PP performed 49% of his minutes with Tatum on the ground in 21-22, and it labored splendidly. That quantity dropped to 41% in 22-23, and so they have been significantly much less efficient in these minutes collectively. Unusually, Tatum barely discovered Pritchard in any respect, and I don’t suppose it’s JT’s fault. They performed subsequent to one another, not with one another.
Tatum has assisted Jaylen brown as soon as each 30 minutes or so for the final two years.
I’m 21-22 he assisted Pritchard as soon as each 22 minutes. Final yr it was as soon as each 50.
— Wayne Spooney (@WSpooney) September 5, 2023
When Pritchard was on the market with Tatum this previous season, his function was very restricted to spacing to the corners. That issues and it helps since Jayson Tatum mainly solely wants house to be efficient, however each Tatum, Pritchard, and the Celtics could be simpler with just a bit bit extra ingenuity. Mazzulla ought to dip into Ime Udoka’s playbook and begin utilizing PP within the PP, the Decide-and-Pop. Udoka used Pritchard like a three-point taking pictures model of Bruce Brown with the guard setting the display for the large.
Right here’s 2 of the 5 assists (sure, solely 5) Tatum needed to Pritchard final yr.
An odd damaged play kickout, after which Pritchard coming over to assist JT out of bother and moving into an emergency pick-and-roll with Tatum setting the display — not precisely masterstrokes of offensive design.
Alternatively, take a look at all of the ingenious stuff Ime Udoka was doing with Pritchard and Tatum in tandem, leveraging Tatum’s defensive consideration and Pritchard’s lights-out taking pictures. Right here is PP setting a display in a double display motion for Tatum because the ballhandler after which spacing vast, ready for Tatum to seek out him.
Right here’s a extra conventional double excessive display and function with each guards setting the screens for Tatum. The protection chooses to double Tatum, which is mostly a sensible alternative, and it provides Pritchard a follow shot jumper.
He was additionally used within the extra basic pick-and-pop state of affairs:
Tatum’s insane on ball gravity blended with Pritchard’s elite taking pictures and bonkers vary makes for a lethal pick-and-pop mixture. Let Tatum draw a double or delicate assist, after which it’s a easy go for a simple shot.
Do I feel this needs to be the dominant motion when Tatum shares the ground with Pritchard? No, and positively Pritchard will do his share of sitting within the nook. However PP is a weapon, one which Mazzulla can extract further worth out of in comparison with his efficiency final yr. Pritchard’s going to play subsequent yr, you may as effectively take advantage of it and ensure Jayson Tatum’s on the market with him.
