When the 2022 NBA Finals concluded, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard said his goal for this season was to crack the regular rotation.
That became difficult in the first week of the offseason when the Celtics traded for guard Malcolm Brogdon, bolstering their guard depth even more. As a result, Pritchard hasn’t played in 15 games this season due to a coach’s decision and has played in garbage time in several other games.
Now, in the second half of the season, some opportunities have opened for Pritchard. Saturday against the Raptors was one of them.
With Jayson Tatum resting and guards Marcus Smart and Derrick While, along with center Robert Williams, departing the game early, Pritchard made the most of his 26 minutes off the bench.