Much has changed for the Boston Celtics over the offseason. Several talented players have departed over the offseason, with Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet finding their way to new homes across the league.
That has opened the door for several players to take on bigger roles with the team, one of them being guard Payton Pritchard. Over his first few seasons, Pritchard’s role with the C’s has gradually increased, and he ultimately won the Sixth Man of the Year Award last year, averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
With Holiday gone, a starting spot in the backcourt alongside Derrick White has opened up. If you ask former Celtics guard Nate Robinson, he believes that job belongs to Pritchard, who he claims is due for a breakout season for Boston.
“I believe this will be a breakout year for him, establishing himself as a starting point guard in the NBA and never looking back,” Robinson said in an interview with Adam Taylor of The Celtics Chronicle, courtesy of mBit Casino. “He’s one of my favorites in the league. I love watching him, especially how hard he’s worked to get to where he’s at today.”
“I believe you can implement him in the starting lineup, I would. But even if you don’t, he can come off the bench and give you so many positive minutes … Of course, they’re losing an amazing guard in Jrue Holiday. He’s awesome, a great guy, works hard, plays hard, just like Pritchard.”
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Pritchard makes sense as a potential starter for the C’s, but they also have Anfernee Simons at their disposal after picking him up from the Portland Trail Blazers. Along with the question of who starts at center, the battle between Pritchard and Simons for the starting spot alongside White is one of the biggest storylines to follow during training camp.
Robinson believes Pritchard has earned the job, and it would be interesting to see what he is capable of with starting minutes after dominating off the bench to begin his career. Fans will know for certain whether Pritchard is going to be a starter this season when the team kicks off the new campaign on Oct. 22 against the Philadelphia 76ers.