Is Payton Pritchard Key to Celtics’ Success This Season?

BOSTON, Massachusetts — Payton Pritchard may be a crucial player for the Boston Celtics as they navigate the 2025-26 NBA season. Despite starting off slow with his three-point shooting, the former Oregon player has contributed significantly through offensive rebounds, assists, and steals, helping the team stay competitive.

As the Celtics faced the Utah Jazz on November 3, they hoped to rebound from a tough start to the season that included a blowout loss against the Houston Rockets. However, they fell short with a 105-103 defeat, managing only 11 successful three-pointers out of 51 attempts, a glaring problem for a team aiming for playoff contention.

Pritchard has shown potential to turn things around, scoring 18 points against the Jazz with a 36.4% shooting clip from three-point range, marking the first time he exceeded two three-pointers this season. This comes after his disappointing overall average of just 21.3% from beyond the arc this season compared to his career average of 39.3%.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla has emphasized finding two-on-one advantages regardless of where they occur on the floor. The Celtics lead the league by averaging 47.8 three-point attempts per game, although their success rate has dipped significantly since previous seasons.

As of now, the Celtics sit at the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. If they aim to climb the standings, they will need Pritchard and fellow guard Derrick White to return to form, as both are crucial for the team’s offensive output.

Boston’s next game will be against the Washington Wizards on November 5, where they seek their first two-game winning streak of the season at TD Garden. With Jayson Tatum’s absence due to injury, the spotlight is on Pritchard to step up and fill a leadership role for the team.