Payton Pritchard shared his ideas about competing with Anfernee Simons for a beginning position with the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics acquired Anfernee Simons this offseason by buying and selling Jrue Vacation to the Portland Path Blazers. Stories indicated that the Celtics may commerce Simons, but it surely appears to be like more and more seemingly that he’ll begin the season at TD Backyard.
The departure of Vacation leaves the place to begin guard position broad open on the Celtics. And it’s a battle between Simons and Pritchard, final season’s Sixth Man of the 12 months. Whether or not Simons or Pritchard ought to begin for Boston has been the supply of intense arguments.
Pritchard made his emotions clear concerning the state of affairs.
Pritchard has earned a beginning position throughout his 5 seasons with the Celtics. He averaged 14.3 factors per recreation final season and has missed solely two video games within the final two common seasons.
He can be forgiven for making an attempt to stamp his authority down on a beginning position subsequent season with the departure of Vacation and Jayson Tatum’s harm. As a substitute, Pritchard says he isn’t apprehensive about being within the beginning 5 subsequent season.
He advised CelticsBlog, “It doesn’t matter to me. For me, it’s about controlling what I can management — and that’s coming into video games and altering the sport, and being an unbelievable participant and serving to my workforce win. In order that’s the one factor I’m targeted on, ever.
“It’s not about accolades. It’s not about beginning or something like that. It’s about: how can I develop into the perfect participant attainable?”
Pritchard’s perspective in the direction of his taking part in time has at all times been mature. He goals to take advantage of out of his minutes, irrespective of what number of he will get or after they come. That’s the perspective that received him Sixth Man of the 12 months, and it’s additionally what makes him consider the Celtics can contend for the title.
The Celtics’ actions this offseason led individuals to consider they’re punting on the season. Tatum’s harm within the playoffs means he’ll almost certainly miss the whole thing of subsequent season. They traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks and Vacation to Portland, offloading contracts to get below the second apron.
They made these strikes with the intention to rebuild round Tatum and Jaylen Brown in 2026 and make a run at their second championship lately. However Pritchard mentioned he isn’t keen to just accept that this can be a “hole 12 months” for the Celtics.
He mentioned, “It’s not a niche 12 months,” he mentioned. “It’s a 12 months to show [something], take a step, and present people who we’re nonetheless that workforce.
“We’ll put the items collectively. And we are going to come out and compete, and attempt to win each recreation, and put collectively an awesome season – and go for a championship.”
Led by Brown, it’s a priceless alternative for Boston’s gamers to show themselves within the absence of three of their pivotal championship items from 2024.
