Pritchard’s return to USA Select Team was a “confidence boost.”
After a challenging season on the periphery of the Celtics’ rotation, Payton Pritchard joined the USA Select Team. This opportunity allowed him to sharpen his skills over the summer, practicing against top-tier players like Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Haliburton.
Returning to Boston after the 2022-23 season, Pritchard felt rejuvenated. He described his Las Vegas experience to Inside The Celtics as a significant “confidence booster.”
“All the players there are top-level players; there are stars of their team,” Pritchard stated. “So, to go out there and compete with those guys and see where your game matches up is — it definitely was a boost of confidence — and I believe in myself at a high level. So, I’ll continue to do that.”
Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Pritchard signed a four-year, $30 million contract extension. He then went on to deliver the best performance of his four-year career in the NBA.
For the first time since being drafted by Boston in 2020, Pritchard averaged over 20 minutes per game (22.3). He achieved career highs in several categories, averaging 9.6 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. He made 38.5% of his 4.7 three-point attempts and improved his ability to vary his pace in the pick-and-roll, creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Pritchard played all 82 regular-season games, earning a plus-375 plus-minus rating, the highest among all second-unit players according to NBA.com. He also scored 122.8 points per 100 possessions, the most in the league, and had a 13.6 net rating, ranking fourth overall. His 4.61 assist-to-turnover ratio was fifth among players who appeared in at least 41 games and averaged 18 minutes per game, per NBA.com.
In the postseason, Pritchard was instrumental in helping Boston secure their 18th championship banner. Notably, he became the first player to make two buzzer-beaters from at least 30 feet in the NBA Finals, as tracked by Stathead since the 1997-98 play-by-play era.
