The Boston Celtics are coming into the 2024-2025 NBA season as the defending champions. But while the Celtics finally captured banner number 18, there’s no question that they’re also dealing with a huge target on their backs as the team to beat.
Fortunately, it looks like Boston is ready to defend their title. With the team barely making any moves during the offseason, the Celtics core is looking sharper than ever. As a result, fans are slowly getting convinced that Boston is an elite team with a good chance of winning their second-straight NBA championship.
Although the NBA season is still young, the Celtics are on the right track with already 15 wins under their belt. In fact, they were also responsible for snapping the streak of the hottest team in the league in the form of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The top seeded Cavs were on a historic 15-0 start to the season before the reigning NBA champions brought them back to reality.
But while the Celtics’ winning formula has a lot to do with their chemistry and core, the team has continued their dominant run as well, thanks to the emergence of Payton Pritchard. As a result, the Celtics’ most pleasant surprise early into the 2024-2025 NBA season has been Pritchard’s career-best season off the bench.
Payton Pritchard’s breakout season
It’s safe to say that the Celtics are in awe of Pritchard’s development early this season. His breakout year has been a welcome sight for the defending champions, who are keen on establishing a dynasty of their own. Pritchard is averaging career-highs of 14.8 points per game on 47.3% shooting from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc. He is also contributing 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Although it was a cold first game for Pritchard, he has been on a hot streak since the Celtics’ second game of the season. His best game thus far was a 28 point explosion against Eastern Conference rival, the Milwaukee Bucks. Pritchard shot 10-of-14 from the field overall and converted eight triples. Eighteen games into the season, Pritchard has already accumulated five 20-point games.
Thanks to Pritchard’s performances so far, the Celtics have posted a respectable 15-3 record, which is good for the second seed in the East. His rise to prominence should ease the burden on the Celtics’ starting five.
An additional offensive weapon off Celtics bench
Speaking of the Celtics’ starting five, any basketball fan will agree that they have arguably the most coherent and loaded lineup in the league. But while the Celtics already have a fearsome five, the emergence of Pritchard should put the rest of the league on notice. Drafted in the first round with the 26th overall pick at the 2020 NBA Draft, the Celtics were patient enough to let Pritchard develop in his first few NBA seasons.
Fast forward to today, it seems that the Boston’s patience will be rewarded once again. Pritchard is looking like another diamond in the rough. Thanks to his breakout season thus far, Pritchard has emerged has an early candidate to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. Throughout NBA history, there have only been three Celtics players who’ve taken home the award. The special list includes Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, and Malcolm Brogdon.
Given that Boston already has a championship winning starting five, Pritchard’s development should easily make the team more dangerous. With more depth at Mazzulla’s disposal, the Celtics further justify their case as the golden standard among NBA teams.
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Can Pritchard maintain his hot hand throughout season?
There’s no doubt that the Celtics are appreciating the breakout of Pritchard. However, tempering expectations isn’t always a bad thing, especially when the team’s just 18 games into the regular season. Given that the season is young, this still leaves room for other NBA teams to come with a better game plan to slow down Boston, including Pritchard’s offensive barrage.
However, the Celtics possess a winning formula. The team isn’t showing any signs of any championship hangover. Furthermore, the return of Kristaps Porzingis should bolster the team’s title defense. With the rest of the roster thriving, it’s only natural for Pritchard to keep up his A-game.
In fact, his last game saw him drop 20 points off the bench spiked by six threes in a 32 point blowout victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. If anything, Pritchard’s performance shows that he isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Should Pritchard continue his breakout season at this level, chances are good that the Celtics have a golden opportunity to successfully go back-to-back.
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