The Boston Celtics’ point guard, Payton Pritchard has just been acknowledged and has added another award to his accolades, winning the 2024-25 NBA season Sixth Man of the Year award. Awarded to basketball players that have been the best performing players as starters on the bench, Payton Pritchard rises and is recognized as greatness. Catch up on Pritchard’s NBA draft, his player statistics and his overall NBA career to get a glimpse of why the player is much deserving of the NBA Sixth Man award.
All about Payton Pritchard’s career
The 2024-25 NBA season witnessed Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard’s great performances and showing energy off the bench while the Celtics won their 18th NBA title which they wish to receive again this year. Acknowledging the hard effort Payton Pritchard put in the team, the NBA league’s awards voters saw it fit to honour the player with the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Pritchard responding to this accolade, said “So I hope that … I’ve gotten better than I was last year. So if that means I’m stronger, more in shape, better basketball IQ … I’ve just been through it now, so I understand what it takes and what this team needs. I’m not saying it’s going to be scoring every night, but just this level of physicality, picking up the ball. This intensity, that’s what needs to be there every night.”
Playing 80 games in the season and only playing off bench in 77 games, the average time of performance for Pritchard was only 28.4 minutes per game, spending roughly 19.6 minutes per game on the bench. While the player was honoured with this award, the position on the bench was one to warm up to as the former Oregon college star played often on the court.
Pritchard continued to say “I feel like that’s probably another area of growth I’ve had, too … Mentally, like this whole year, (I’ve) been coming off the bench around the six-minute mark, and then you don’t go in until the end of the first. You don’t go into the game knowing when you’re going to go in or anything, but as a player, young player, you might get frustrated. You might be like, ‘Oh, I’m not playing as much tonight.’”
Pritchard’s NBA stats and draft
Straight from an Oregon college player, Pritchard was drafted 26th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2020 NBA draft. Inking a four-year contract, the player received a $30 million deal in 2023. The player’s fifth season with the Celtics was one where Pritchard played gracefully, averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 40.7% from 3 pointers within 80 games.
Regardless of his bench position, the season saw Pritchard’s’ career highs and a great consistency, contributing to the Celtics’ 61-21 this season. Entering the playoffs as second in the Eastern Conference, the game against the Magics had Pritchard entering the game in the first 10 minutes and shifting the energy with 11 points, in the first three minutes. Making the Celtics proud, Pritchard is the fourth player to win the Sixth Man of the Year award in the team.
The NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
Received by the power forward Kevin McHale twice in 1984 and 1985, and Bill Walton in 1986, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year pays homage to the best performing players who have eventually played off the bench as a substitute. Payton Pritchard won the award with 82 out of 100 first-place votes, 13 second-place votes and 5 third-place votes, while being the only candidate to appear on all the ballots.
The Celtics President of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, applauded Pritchard saying, “”Payton is a baller — and his teammates know what they are getting every single day in terms of effort, care, and commitment … For him to be honored with the award named after the great John Havlicek is a credit to all that he brings to the table for our team.” The next award to announced by the NBA, will be the Hustle Award winner on Friday.
With many more players to be awarded by the NBA for this amazing season, the honour of Boston Celtics’ point guard, Payton Pritchard, is greatly deserved. The rising star is a graceful of the bench, cheering his team on to ensure team morality, while showing up completely when sent to the court to the play. It’s about time the player is congratulated, and we are excited to see how the star will perform in the rest of the NBA playoffs, and which accolades he will collect the next season.
