Payton Pritchard on working to be the Celtics’ finest defender, quitting alcohol, and why he by no means flops

Payton Pritchard has his meal regiment on lock.

Oatmeal, bacon, and a protein shake within the morning. Noodles with rooster — in olive oil — for his pregame meal.

And, zero alcohol through the NBA season: “That’s been straightforward.”

All of it was a part of an intentional choice made by the backup guard to be as impactful as doable forward of the NBA season, because the Celtics ready for his or her title protection.

“For me, it’s like – I really feel like I’m gonna have a superb alternative this yr to assist the group develop a little bit bit,” Pritchard informed CelticsBlog final week. “So, how can I maximize every part?”

He didn’t know he was going to be the frontrunner within the Sixth Man of the Yr race. In reality, profitable the award that he now seems to be a shoo-in for wasn’t even a objective. And, he had no clue he’d break the NBA file for many three-pointers off the bench in a season — a file he set on Saturday night time in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets, with 14 video games nonetheless left to play this yr.

All of his aspirations had been self-driven — expertise he knew would positively impression the Celtics’ probabilities of profitable.

“Can I enhance taking pictures off the dribble? Can I enhance my playmaking? Can I get extra steals?” Pritchard stated. “Stuff like that, I can personally have an effect on.”

The outcomes have been simple.

The 5’11 guard is averaging 14.1 factors per recreation this season, up from 9.6 final yr. He has the second-highest TS% on the Celtics, and the second-highest efficient subject objective share (trailing solely Luke Kornet, who shoots 97% of his photographs from lower than 10 ft).

As his scoring has elevated, his playmaking has continued to be as dependable as ever. Amongst gamers averaging not less than 25 minutes, solely Chris Paul, Tyrese Haliburton, Jimmy Butler III, and Fred Van Fleet have a greater assist-to-turnover ratio.

Pritchard is way from glad, consistently discovering new methods to enhance his recreation.

That’s what’s gotten him the place he’s in the present day.

“His aggressive nature and work ethic is unreal,” head coach Joe Mazzulla stated.

Within the background, Pritchard is engaged on enhancing his floater, a shot that he has not displayed in his arsenal: “It’s not essentially wanted for what we’d like proper now, however when the time comes… I’ll be able to take these photographs.”

Quest to turn out to be the Celtics’ finest defender

Above all, there’s the defensive aspirations. As soon as seen as a legal responsibility, Pritchard is about on not simply being an elite defender for the Celtics’ — however changing into the Celtics’ prime defender.

“Ultimately, I need to get to [be] any individual that — I guard the opposite group’s finest gamers,” he stated.

When the Celtics confronted the Thunder final week, the large defensive query centered round slowing down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Jaylen Brown obtained the first defensive task on the MVP candidate, however couldn’t discover a technique to comprise him. Jrue Vacation has admittedly struggled in opposition to the shifty guard as nicely.

However, when SGA hunted Pritchard defensively, Pritchard was capable of maintain his personal.

He’s guarded the Thunder celebrity for simply over 5 minutes this season, holding him to six factors on 2-5 taking pictures, and forcing 3 turnovers.

It’s a small pattern measurement, however the analytics recommend he did a superb job. And, most significantly, when he does swap onto a star, it’s one thing he embraces as an amazing alternative, moderately than a second he shies away from.

“His potential to need to tackle nice matchups has been massive for us,” Mazzulla stated.

In reality, Pritchard has relentlessly studied opposing gamers’ tendencies, diving into what slows down basketball’s best scorers.

“You’re by no means gonna cease an amazing participant,” he stated. “If any individual’s guarding me, I by no means really feel like any individual’s gonna simply shut me down. It’s simply extra about, how will you drive them into harder photographs, and possibly drive a few turnovers right here and there. However, the explanation they’re that nice is as a result of they’re able to scoring at a excessive degree.”

Pritchard is aware of that defensive questions have surrounded him all through his skilled profession. However, he insists that the doubts round his potential to defend will be attributed to his look greater than something.

“Individuals prefer to say that typically — possibly not as a lot anymore — however that I was a defensive legal responsibility,” he stated. “However I really feel like that was possibly as a result of they seemed on the peak, and possibly the colour of my pores and skin a little bit bit. So that they assume I’m a goal.”

Pritchard will typically hound opposing groups’ guards full-court. He’s embraced all of the troublesome match-ups, and famous Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell as one he enjoys being tasked with.

“I simply attempt to make issues robust,” he stated. “And I really feel like defensively, on ball, I believe I’m excellent… I can transfer my ft nicely, and take bumps and I’m simply gonna hold getting higher and higher and higher at it.

Joe Mazzulla has praised Pritchard’s progress on the defensive finish, and, specifically, how a lot he’s improved as an off-ball defender — one thing that’s onerous to quantify analytically. That progress has allowed him to remain on the courtroom even when his shot’s not falling, although he’s confronted only a few taking pictures struggles this season.

“As a lot versatility as he has within the offensive finish, he actually takes satisfaction in creating on the defensive finish,” stated the Celtics head coach.

Once I spoke to Pritchard, I requested him simply how a lot he valued the possibility to protect superstars in short stints, realizing that he’s not the first man the teaching employees assigns to these gamers from the soar.

“I do need to get to that time the place I’m that man,” he stated firmly. “That may be a objective.”

Payton Pritchard doesn’t know the best way to flop

There’s one other space of potential private progress that Pritchard has recognized: flopping.

He smiled when requested about his self-proclaimed incapacity to flop.

“I simply don’t,” he stated.

A giant a part of why he hardly ever makes an attempt to attract fouls or oversell contact is a recognition that in his present position, his alternatives to drive to the basket are few and much between.

“When you have got the ball in your fingers extra, and whenever you’re driving much more, and you’ve got much more of these makes an attempt, then you definately begin to be taught when to attract a foul higher,” he defined.

Proper now, Pritchard makes an attempt lower than two photographs a recreation on the rim, and he’s taking pictures 75.3% on these makes an attempt — 9% above league common.

“I’m not gonna take an opportunity to flop and never get a name. However if in case you have the ball rather a lot, you need to use these and work out the proper time [to flop], if any individual’s fingers are in there.”

He pointed to Gilgeous-Alexander, who drew a game-high 11 free throws in opposition to the Celtics and has established a fame as one of many league’s prime free-throw getters. In final week’s recreation, SGA seemed to attract a foul on a turnaround fadeaway within the fourth quarter with Pritchard guarding him, however didn’t get the decision.

For Pritchard, these forms of performs function a reminder of why he doesn’t at the moment prioritize in search of out contact.

“Have a look at Shai. Like, he obtained some calls, however then he additionally didn’t get some calls. He tried to flop proper? When you’re a job participant and also you do this, that don’t look too good. It’s like, you don’t get a name on that…” he trailed off.

The Sixth Man of the Yr award

Proper now, the Celtics guard is by far the frontrunner for the award, with the Pistons’ Malik Beasley and the Cavaliers’ De’Andre Hunter lagging in all betting odds.

Nonetheless, he’s made a concerted effort to not fear about the place he stands within the ever-changing race.

“As a result of then it will possibly eat you up,” he stated. “Like, unhealthy recreation, you’re occupied with it. Good recreation, you’re like ohhh. So I don’t ever strive to consider it. For me, it’s at all times self-improvement: how can I hold getting higher and higher?”

A part of what’s made Pritchard’s position troublesome is how a lot his alternatives have fluctuated relying on who’s within the lineup on that given night time. Earlier this month, in opposition to the Path Blazers, he exploded for a career-high 43 factors. Three nights later, he tried simply 5 photographs in a Celtics win in opposition to the Lakers.

In December, with the Celtics down a number of gamers, he averaged 12.3 photographs per recreation. The subsequent month, with Kristaps Porzingis and others again within the lineup, his shot makes an attempt had been slashed to eight.1 an evening.

He’s embraced the ever-changing alternative.

“It takes a particular particular person to satisfy that position,” Mazzulla stated. “And he takes satisfaction and does it daily.”

This yr, Pritchard has scored 20+ factors this season in 20 video games, coming off the bench for each single one. He’s averaging a career-high in rebounds, assists, steals, subject objective share, and three-point share.

His teammates have routinely lobbied for him to win the award: “He’s obtained to be Sixth Man of the Yr,” Jayson Tatum stated on TNT after Pritchard his 8 three-pointers in a February win over the 76ers.

Pritchard is concentrated on the larger image: persevering with to enhance as defender, diversifying his shot profile, serving to the Celtics win one other title.

“We’re all human. I’m not gonna say I wouldn’t be grateful to win it,” he stated. “I don’t need to not win it.”

“It’s out of my management. I do know my play. I can management that.”