It was a foregone conclusion for some time now that Payton Pritchard would be named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.
It became official Tuesday night.
Pritchard took home the end-of-season NBA award after a career season as Boston’s leader of its second unit. He beat out Malik Beasley of the Detroit Pistons and Ty Jerome of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the hardware. He’s the fourth Celtics player to earn the honor, joining Kevin McHale, Bill Walton and Malcolm Brogdon, who most recently won the award in 2023.
“Payton is one of the most dedicated players I’ve ever been around,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. “He truly loves the game and is committed to the work that goes into being great. In addition, he’s driven by winning and doing whatever it takes to help the team. Payton is a baller — and his teammates know what they are getting every single day in terms of effort, care, and commitment. For him to be honored with the award named after the great John Havlicek is a credit to all that he brings to the table for our team.”
Pritchard set career highs in points (14.3), rebounds (3.8) and assists (3.5) per game this season. He continuously torched opponents from beyond the arc as he shot 40.7% from 3-point range, which was good for second-best on the Celtics.
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Prichard’s 246 3-pointers off the bench led all reserves in the league and it was an NBA record for triples coming off the bench, too, besting Wayne Ellington’s mark of 218 from the 2017-18 season.
The Celtics routinely counted on Pritchard for offensive production and he delivered. The 27-year-old had 23 20-point games off the bench and had arguably his best performance when he poured in a career-high 43 points fueled by 10 treys against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 5.
Pritchard’s ascension into the top reserve player in the league sure makes his four-year, $30 million contract extension he signed last season look like an absolute steal for the Celtics.
Featured image via Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images
