BOSTON — Listen closely to the way the Celtics talk about Payton Pritchard. For years, even when he was a bench guy buried down the depth chart, there was clear respect from those who saw his work behind-the-scenes. This is the NBA, these guys don’t praise nobodies. If you’re not good enough or work hard enough, you will be forgotten.
Pritchard won’t be forgotten. Now, he’s in the history books in his own way. As expected, Pritchard was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year on Tuesday, putting a stamp on his breakout season off the C’s bench. He beat out the Pistons’ Malik Beasley and the Cavaliers’ Ty Jerome, the other two finalists. He finished with 82 out of 100 first-place votes, garnering 454 points while Beasley, who finished second, had 279 points.
Pritchard did it the right way, grinding for years to get his opportunity. Once he got it this season, he never let up. That’s a nod to the Celtics, their culture and, most importantly, Pritchard.
“My consistency game in, game out,” Pritchard said of his season. “Just limiting overall bad games. I’m proud of that. Just my efficiency shooting-wise I think has been really good this year, and just every summer just finding different ways to get better and better and elevate my game, especially in the playoffs. And then hopefully next year comest and I elevate it again.”
Al Horford didn’t want to jump the gun after Celtics practice Tuesday, but the big man spoke about how proud he was about Pritchard getting this far in reference to the award. Just a couple years ago, Pritchard was buried on the depth chart and asked to be traded. Instead, the team kept him as a depth piece, hoping he would pan out a few years down the line.
That’s a tough process for a guy who just wants to play. Pritchard impressed ever since he was drafted 26th overall by the Celtics in 2020, even as a rookie. But consistent playing time was tough to come by, and he still needed to round out his game to to the point where it is now. In the end, he was the best bench player this season as a reliable contributor for the defending champs.
“His consistency with his work ethic and how hard he works and how he’s taken care of his body,” Horford said. “How he took the challenge on this year and trying to take us getting to another level, not only on the offensive end but defensively. It’s remarkable to see. Just being put in different positions and trying to figure it out.”
Pritchard hasn’t been enamored by the award by any means. It’d be cool, he explained, but it’s not the end goal. That’s winning championships and leaving a legacy. While it remains to be seen how Pritchard looks the rest of these playoffs — he had a great opener in Game 1 against the Magic — there’s no doubting his impact this season.
That consistent will to improve left a lasting impression on his teammates. Those are the guys who know his work ethic best since they’re around him on a daily basis. A vet like Horford has just about seen it all over the course of a long career. So for Pritchard to get his flowers after a career-best season, it was a culmination of all his work.
“I feel like every year, you get a little bit better,” Pritchard said. “So I hope that I’ve been, through a year now, I’ve gotten better than I was last year. So if that means I’m stronger, more in shape, better basketball IQ, I’ve just been through it now. So I understand what it takes and what this team needs. I’m not saying it’s going to be scoring every night, but just this level of physicality, picking up the ball. This intensity, that’s what needs to be there every night.”
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