Payton Pritchard, Celtics
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Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics celebrates with fans after defeating the New York Knicks in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 14, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Payton Pritchard understands that the outside expectations on the Boston Celtics will be low considering the significant changes they made this offseason. However, that doesn’t mean the internal expectations will decline or see the team lower its standards.
Pritchard and the Celtics were coming off of winning the 2024 NBA title, the franchise’s 18th in its history. They were on the quest for a repeat last season but lost to the New York Knicks in six games during the East Semis.
Not only that, but star forward Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles injury that will sideline him for at least most of the 2025-26 NBA season. This propelled Boston to make changes to adapt to its financial situation, trading away key players in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Pritchard looked back on the offseason while he prepares for the upcoming campaign during an exclusive interview with CelticsBlog reporter Noa Dalzell. Despite the big changes the team went through this summer, the mindset remains the same for the Boston squad.
“There’s only one mindset, always – I’ve never been on any team in my life where the mindset wasn’t to try to compete for the championship,” Pritchard told CelticsBlog on Saturday, at a 1-on-1 basketball tournament he hosted in Roxbury. “People can say gap year and all that, but as a competitor, that should never be it, and that’s not the mindset of the city of Boston, either.”
“It’s not a gap year. It’s a year to prove [something], take a step, and show people that we are still that team. We’ll put the pieces together. And we will come out and compete, and try to win every game, and put together a great season – and go for a championship.”
What Lies Ahead For Payton Pritchard, Celtics
Payton Pritchard, Celtics
GettyPayton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against Damion Baugh #7 of the Charlotte Hornets during second half at the TD Garden on April 13, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
It’s clear that Payton Pritchard and the Celtics have plenty of confidence in spite of the hardships they will go through this upcoming season.
They will no longer have the loaded roster they possessed in the 2023-24 campaign, winning 64 regular-season games en route to going 16-3 in the playoffs to win the title. However, they still have the talent that can make noise in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket even with Jayson Tatum on the sidelines.
This upcoming season will be huge for Pritchard. He is coming off of winning the 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game after 80 appearances. He shot 47.2% from the field, including 40.7% from beyond the arc, and 84.5% from the free-throw line.
Pritchard proved in the regular season that he can be a lethal spark plug off the bench, torching opponents with his shooting ability. It will be pivotal for Boston to turn to Pritchard as a consistent scoring option while Tatum is out, needing the offense to be stable with reliable scorers.
The Celtics will be entering a new period of the Tatum and Jaylen Brown era, knowing that they need a new supporting cast to return to the mountaintop once again. As for Pritchard, he will hope to be around for the long term, helping Boston compete for more titles.