The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the better rivalries in the Eastern Conference in recent years. The two sides have had a few playoff battles while their regular season matchups have also been intense.
Both sides have won a title over the past couple of seasons, adding more fuel to this rivalry. The two organizations have been the cream of the crop in the East and normally have gone through one another in the conference.
The rivalry was taken to new heights this season when Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo got into things during a game earlier in the year. The two sides have since moved on but the intensity to beat one another remains.
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But even with this rivalry, there is a respect factor from each side as well. Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo may not be the biggest name on Milwaukee but he showed major praise for a Celtics player.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Thanasis picked one player on the Celtics to remove from their roster. Normally, people would say either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown but Thanasis went with guard Payton Pritchard.
“If you told me you have one button and one of those guys won't play against you ever again for the Celtics, that's Payton Pritchard… I did not say Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford. I said Payton Pritchard. So underrated.”
"When all of them don't have it, they not feeling it, this is the guy who always does," Antetokounmpo stated. "I am telling you, this guy is so so underrated. He's a dog... I study the game, I see this guy playing 1-on-1 outside court. This guy has so much love for basketball. So, that's dangerous."
This is big praise coming to the Celtics guard but he has been having a great season. Pritchard is the leading candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year award and has helped solidify the Celtics' entire roster.
For the year, the guard has averaged 16.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. Pritchard is shooting 43 percent from beyond the 3-point line as well.
His emergence has helped this Boston team become even more formidable and it's likey nice for him to see opponents giving him the respect that he deserves.
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