How Celtics Use Payton Pritchard To Run Strenuous Drill During Practices

Payton Pritchard isn’t just relied on to fulfill the sixth man’s role off the Boston Celtics bench this season. The undersized 6-foot-1 guard is also the centerpiece of an entire drill ran routinely during team practices.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla took notice of a particular — and effective — strength in Pritchard’s game and wisely designed an entirely new drill from it. Contrary to popular belief, Pritchard’s vertically challenged stature doesn’t alleviate the rigorousness of the drill itself and so far it helped reinforce Pritchard’s value to the reigning champions, fresh off a painstaking offseason of his own.

“There’s this drill that we have where you gotta go up against Payton full court,” Jrue Holiday told FanDuel’s “Run It Back” on Thursday. “And he just be going crazy. Speed, handle, low to the ground so he can body you, stops on the dime and he can shoot it. … Payton, Payton’s cold, bro.”

Pritchard’s fierce full-court press has become a constant challenge for opposing scorers to cross half-court as soon as the ball is inbounded. This approach was used in multiple plays during Boston’s 123-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night as Pritchard targeted defensive assignments early, picking up opponents ahead of half-court to establish that regardless of his height, there’s no such thing as a free bucket waiting on the other end. Not only has it worked but that’s just half of Pritchard’s lethal full-court game.

Offensively, Pritchard can be just as much of an energizer bunny. Upon Celtics inbounds, Pritchard’s shown a unique ability to fire and sink half-court heaves as the league’s unofficial king of 47-plus-foot daggers. Even if not from Stephen Curry range, Pritchard’s speed with the ball and ability to set his feet and fire away quickly enough before the shot clock buzzer has already begun to haunt others across the league — including Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers and their 1-6 team.

The ever-evolving improvements to Pritchard’s game haven’t just benefitted the Celtics, they also put the 26-year-old in premature award-winning conversations. Pritchard’s become arguably the best sixth man in the league, averaging a career-high 16 points on 45.6% shooting from the field and 41.2% shooting from 3-point range, which — if maintained — could lead Pritchard to a legitimate case at becoming Boston’s first Sixth Man of the Year since ex-guard Malcolm Brogdon (2022-23).

Until then, the 7-2 Celtics will focus on what’s ahead.

“I definitely think we can be (better than last year),” Holiday said, per FanDuel. “It’s because of the chemistry that we built. I think when you go through something like a season last year — again, it was my first year. But you go through a season like last year and you win, and you do it together and everybody is, not only on the same page but everybody messes with each other, I think it means a lot. I think the care for each other is there more, the intent. I think people wanting to do what’s best, not only for yourself but for the team, carries over into this next year.”