Payton Pritchard was the Boston Celtics' best player in Friday's preseason opener against the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi.
The Celtics point guard led the team with 21 points, six assists and six 3-pointers made, along with four rebounds in 24 minutes of playing time during Boston's 107-103 win.
Back-to-back buckets for Pritchard 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mhtIqjmlHv
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 4, 2024
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The only thing we didn't see from Pritchard was one of his famous buzzer-beating shots from the logo, but he did come close at the end of the third quarter.
Sure, it's only a preseason game, but it was encouraging for the Celtics to see all of the ways Pritchard was scoring against Denver. He was able to hit 3-pointers in catch-and-shoot scenarios, shots off the dribble, step-back shots, etc. His playmaking was pretty impressive, too. He found open shooters on the perimeter and was constantly pushing the pace.
It was clear that Pritchard put in plenty of work during the offseason. After the game, the 2020 first-round draft pick talked about what he worked on during his summer workouts.
"Getting more consistent off the dribble for the 3-ball," Pritchard told reporters. "I thought my finishing and my mid-range game last year took a big jump. I thought that was good. Obviously, I'm always working on that stuff, but if I can be more efficient shooting off the dribble from there, as well as the catch-and-shoot, then that completes my game.
"And then defensively, just trying to find ways to be better at taking charges and getting more hands on balls, steals and things like that."
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Pritchard set career highs with 9.6 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 assists per game last season. He also shot a career-high 46.8 percent from the field.
The 26-year-old guard played all 82 games for the first time and played more minutes per game (22.3) than he ever had before.
There's still another level (or two) for Pritchard to reach as a player, and it would be very beneficial for the Celtics if he could get there this coming season. His ability to knock down 3-pointers all over the court is very valuable, especially in head coach Joe Mazzulla's offense that puts such a large emphasis on those types of shots.