Payton Pritchard

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Payton Pritchard
Payton Pritchard (cropped).jpg
Pritchard with Oregon in 2019
No. 11 – Boston Celtics
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1998-01-28) January 28, 1998 (age 23)
Tualatin, Oregon
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolWest Linn
(West Linn, Oregon)
CollegeOregon (2016–2020)
NBA draft2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–presentBoston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
hide
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Egypt Team Competition

Payton Michael Pritchard (born January 28, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. As a sophomore, he was named second-team all-conference in the Pac-12. As a senior, he was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy.

High school career[]

Pritchard won four consecutive state titles with West Linn High School and earned 2014 and 2015 Todd Pratt Player of the Year, Oregon Class 6A Player of the Year and 2015 Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year. He averaged 22 points and 5.8 assists per game as a junior (2014–15) and 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.1 steals as a senior (2015–16). A four-star recruit in the ESPN ranking,[1] he committed to the University of Oregon Ducks in August 2015.[2] He had previously committed to Oklahoma, where his father Terry played football.[3] In his greatest game in high school, Pritchard torched Washington for 45 points in the Northwest shootout, an all-star game between Oregon and Washington.

Pritchard played multiple future NBA stars and lottery picks at the Les Schwab Invitational throughout his high school career, such as Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown, and Jahlil Okafor.

College career[]

In his freshman year (2016–17), Pritchard made 39 appearances for the Ducks, averaging 7.4 points and 3.6 assists per game.[4] In a game against UCLA, Pritchard made a deep three to pull the Ducks within one behind assisting on Dillon Brooks game winning three over Lonzo Ball. Oregon made its first Final Four appearance since the first NCAA Tournament ever and Pritchard was the only freshmen to start in that year's Final Four.

On November 25, 2017, Pritchard scored a career-high 29 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds in an 84–79 win over DePaul.[5] Pritchard was the lone returning starter for the Ducks in his sophomore year (2017–18), and averaged a markedly higher 14.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game.[6]

As a junior, Pritchard got off to a disappointing start but turned it up late in the season leading Oregon to an improbable Pac 12 Tournament Championship and reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 12.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game and was named MVP of the Pac-12 Tournament. Following the season he declared for the 2019 NBA draft but decided to return to Oregon for his senior season.[7]

As a senior, Pritchard was one of the best players in collegiate basketball. On January 18, 2020, Pritchard scored 22 points and drained a 30-foot shot with 3 seconds left to complete a 16-point comeback win over Washington in overtime 64–61.[8] On January 30, Pritchard scored 21 points in a 77–72 win against California and became Oregon's all-time assists leader.[9] He scored a career-high 38 points in a 73–72 overtime win against Arizona on February 22 in a must win game to keep Oregon's hopes for a Pac 12 regular season title alive.[10] As a senior, Pritchard averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game,[11] and he was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year.[12] Pritchard was also a consensus All-American selection and was awarded the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard.[13]

Professional career[]

Boston Celtics (2020–present)[]

Pritchard was selected with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.[14] On November 24, 2020, Pritchard signed a four-year, $10.5 million rookie contract with the Boston Celtics including team options in the third and fourth year.[15][16] Pritchard impressed in his professional debut scoring 17 points in a preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers on December 15, 2020.[17] In the absence of Kemba Walker, he was fourth in playing time through the first five games, behind only Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart.[18] On January 4, 2021, Pritchard scored a career-high 23 points in a 126–114 win over the Toronto Raptors with eight assists and two rebounds.[19] In the next game, Pritchard made the game-winning layup in a 107-105 win over the Miami Heat. On January 12, 2021, Pritchard earned the first start of his NBA career but had an underwhelming performance only scoring 2 points in 28 minutes in a loss to the Detroit Pistons.[20] This showing came in the beginning stages of what can be described as his "rookie wall" where he struggled to be as efficient and impactful as he was early in the season. While this may have been a result of Kemba Walker's reintegration into the lineup,[21] it is also a common phenomenon associated with young players, specifically rookies, in which the extensive and rigorous workload of their first professional season takes its toll on the mental and physical health of the players.[22] Pritchard alluded to his struggles later on in the season,[23] but seemingly burst through this looming "rookie wall" in mid-April when he scored in double figures in six of seven games in a row including a new career best, 28 points in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 27, 2021.[24]

He played for the Celtics in the 2021 NBA Summer League.[25]

National team career[]

Pritchard represented the US at the 2015 FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Championship where, in his best game, he had 9 three-pointers against Poland. He scored 12 points on 4 three-pointers in 14 minutes as a member of the USA National Select Team at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit.[26]

Pritchard also made the US squad for the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup in Egypt.[27] Pritchard averaged 9.0 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per contest during the tournament, including 16 points against RJ Barrett and Canada.[28] Team USA won the bronze medal, and Pritchard was named to the All-Star Five.[29]

Career statistics[]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Boston 66 4 19.2 .440 .411 .889 2.4 1.8 .6 .1 7.7
Career 66 4 19.2 .440 .411 .889 2.4 1.8 .6 .1 7.7

Playoffs[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021 Boston 5 0 13.4 .353 .300 1.000 1.8 2.4 .4 .0 3.4
Career 5 0 13.4 .353 .300 1.000 1.8 2.4 .4 .0 3.4

College[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016–17 Oregon 39 35 28.3 .393 .350 .730 3.4 3.6 1.2 .1 7.4
2017–18 Oregon 36 36 35.1 .447 .413 .774 3.8 4.8 1.4 .0 14.5
2018–19 Oregon 38 38 35.5 .418 .328 .838 3.9 4.6 1.8 .1 12.9
2019–20 Oregon 31 31 36.6 .468 .415 .821 4.3 5.5 1.5 .0 20.5
Career 144 140 33.7 .437 .379 .800 3.8 4.6 1.5 .0 13.5

References[]

  1. ^ "Payton Pritchard - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  2. ^ "Pritchard stays in-state, commits to Oregon". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  3. ^ Borzello, Jeff (July 6, 2015). "ESPN 100 PG Pritchard decommits from Sooners". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  4. ^ Alger, Tyson (November 11, 2017). "Oregon Ducks handle Coppin State in men's basketball season opener: Live updates recap". OregonLive. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  5. ^ Alger, Tyson (November 25, 2017). "Payton Pritchard and Oregon Ducks outlast DePaul at PK80 Invitational: Live updates recap, score, stats". OregonLive. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  6. ^ "Oregon's Payton Pritchard named to Wooden Award watch list". OregonLive. November 8, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Hanson, Nate (May 29, 2019). "Oregon point guard Payton Pritchard to return for senior season". KGW8. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  8. ^ "Pritchard's late 3 lifts No. 8 Oregon past Washington 64–61". ESPN. Associated Press. January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  9. ^ "Payton Pritchard breaks Oregon's assists record as No. 11 Ducks men's basketball beats California". OregonLive. Associated Press. January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  10. ^ "No. 14 Oregon rallies to beat No. 24 Arizona 73–72 in OT". ESPN. Associated Press. February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Dauster, Rob (March 10, 2020). "NBC Sports College Basketball All-American Teams". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  12. ^ "Pac-12 announces 2019-20 Men's Basketball annual major awards". pac-12.com. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  13. ^ Crepea, James (April 7, 2020). "Oregon's Payton Pritchard wins Bob Cousy Award as point guard of the year". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  14. ^ Fentress, Aaron (November 18, 2020). "Oregon Ducks' Payton Pritchard selected No. 26 in NBA Draft by Boston Celtics". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  15. ^ "Celtics Sign Nesmith, Pritchard". nba.com. November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  16. ^ "Payton Pritchard".
  17. ^ "Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers box-score".
  18. ^ "5 Celtics takeaways through 5 games of 2020-21 NBA season". RSN. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  19. ^ "Tatum scores 40 in Celtics' 126-114 win over Raptors". ESPN.com. January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  20. ^ "Payton Pritchard 2020-21 Game Log".
  21. ^ "Kemba Walker to Make 2020-21 Season Debut vs. Knicks". January 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "Finding the Rookie Wall". January 13, 2019.
  23. ^ "Payton Pritchard not focused on hitting, but overcoming rookie wall with Celtics".
  24. ^ "Payton Pritchard goes for career-high, but Celtics fall to Thunder". April 28, 2021.
  25. ^ "Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Aug 8, 2021 Box Scores | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  26. ^ TEGNA. "Pritchard scores 12, USA wins Nike Hoop Summit 101-67". KGW. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  27. ^ "Oregon Ducks point guard Payton Pritchard named to Team USA Under-19 World Cup roster". OregonLive.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  28. ^ "États-Unis at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 - FIBA.basketball". FIBA.basketball (in French). Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  29. ^ "Payton Pritchard and Abu Kigab named to World Cup All-Star Team". DuckTerritory. Retrieved July 9, 2017.

External links[]

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