It's been a challenging second season for Payton Pritchard, who entered the weekend averaging just 4.7 points over 12.3 minutes per game following a promising rookie campaign.
The Celtics guard rose to the occasion Saturday in Detroit, though, exploding for 19 points -- including 17 in the second half -- off the bench to help Boston rally to a 113-104 win over the Pistons.
Celtics-Pistons takeaways: Pritchard sparks late rally in C's win
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Pritchard's 27 minutes of floor time Saturday were his most in a game since late December and only the second time he's topped 20 minutes in 2022. That lack of action has taken its toll on Pritchard, but he has an ally in Jaylen Brown, who sees some of himself in the 24-year-old and how he approaches the game.
"It's been a little tough on him," Brown told reporters after Saturday's win. "I talk to Payton all the time. He's a guy that's talented and wants to prove himself. He's got a lot of the chip on his shoulder that kind of reminded my of myself, so it was tough on him in stretches where he didn't play as much. But Payton's got a great work ethic, so I think that supersedes it all."
The parallel between Brown and Pritchard isn't obvious: Brown was a No. 3 overall pick who blossomed into an All-Star and 20-point scorer, while Pritchard was taken 26th in the 2020 NBA Draft and has made just six career starts.
But Pritchard got more run as a rookie than Brown, who averaged just 6.6 points over 17.2 minutes a night while buried on Boston's depth chart. Brown didn't emerge as a true star until his fourth and fifth seasons, so he's been trying to preach patience with Pritchard."Just the ups and downs," Brown said. "I feel like I've been in every position and role in this whole organization, in terms of being a rookie not playing as much and getting DNPs and everything in between to being the star with all the responsibilities. So, just sharing my input about the rigors of the NBA and things to look out for and you'll be fine.
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"Payton's got talent. He can really play. I can vouch for that. ... He's never going to give up, and those are the guys I like to be around."
Head coach Ime Udoka has a very short rotation that hasn't left much playing time for young guys like Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith. But if Pritchard can provide a spark off the bench when called upon, it gives the Celtics an added layer of depth that should serve them well come playoff time.