In Toronto, it looked to be a night where the balance of power wouldn’t stand. In the Raptors’ NBA Cup clash against the Celtics, the home team matched their intensity. Until the final quarter, the deadlock didn’t break. It remained a one-possession game. Then a 6’1″ guard gave Joe Mazzulla enough confidence to keep only one starter out on the floor. A Payton Pritchard statement guided the Shamrocks to a nine-point win against the Raptors.

The Celtics’ Sixth Man has garnered a reputation for being one of the most crafty technicians in the league. In the fourth quarter against the Raptors, he elevated his game to a different stratosphere. The enthralling show lasted the entire quarter, where Pritchard ran for 19 points, only missing a single three in his six attempts.

Even though Jayson Taum arguably laid the foundation of the win, he couldn’t look past his teammate’s critical contributions. “Me and P the same high school class so I have been seeing that fearless competitive nature ever since we were 13. It has been pretty cool to see him into grow into the player that he is,” the Celtics ace said.

Within the Celtics, Pritchard is highly regarded due to his incessant work ethic. “We see the work that he puts in and we trust him to make the right plays,” Tatum added. With that in mind, he feels Payton Pritchard has locked an NBA honor in his name only 19 games into the season. “Being effective on a championship team and doing the things that he is doing you know, Sixth Man of The Year worthy for me,” JT admitted.

The case is growing stronger with every performance from the 6’1″ scoring sensation. Of the players to have played at least 15 games, Pritchard leads all bench scorers averaging 15.6 points and shooting 44% from three, both career highs. This was also his second straight game, scoring 20 off the bench.

In the times the Celtics have desperately needed a scoring injection, Mazzulla has nearly always relied on Payton Pritchard. However, in his eyes, he is a far better player than just being a fiery shooter.

Joe Mazzulla hails greater praise for Payton Pritchard

While Tatum sees Pritchard as a 6MOTY and an invaluable component, as a coach Mazzulla couldn’t be happier to have Pritchard on his side. The elite scorer does a lot more than just put the ball in the basket. Tonight, he grabbed seven rebounds, four of which were on the offensive glass.

Through tremendous work, Payton Pritchard can identify opportunities to keep himself constantly effective rather than having a one-dimensional impact. Tonight’s display won over Mazzulla even more. “The key is he finds different ways to impact games and he’s grown as a player over the course of his career. Tonight it wasn’t shooting but that rebound he got was timely and just his ball pressuring his defense. So he is a complete player. I know it sounds weird, but he is one of the best three-level scorers I’ve seen especially for his size,” the Celtics HC raved about the guard.

Although a majority of his offense does stem from his jump shooting, however, his scoring aptitude is far superior. Payton Pritchard is shooting over 50% from every level of scoring, be it mid-range or in the paint. Despite his size disadvantage, the 26-year-old can get by defenders and finish at the rim.

Defensively, he pressures ball handlers and uses his quickness to navigate past screens. His defensive rating of 113.8 is not far from the likes of Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, displaying his rough impact on both sides of the floor. Outside of these actions, he is a functional screener, generating 4 points tonight through his two screens.

It’s rare to see mastery as such at Pritchard’s size. However, his will to compete and dauntless approach helps him pack a punch that ushers the Celtics into a true juggernaut.