Payton Pritchard‘s lethal half-court shooting has strengthened Boston’s long-range attack, forcing even the league’s best players to stay on high alert whenever he has the ball. Pritchard’s impact on the court even sparked a lighthearted moment from Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. While celebrating their championship win, Mazulla made sure fans were repping the right #11—Pritchard’s number, which he shares with Kyrie Irving. This brings to mind the time Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, returning to his home state of Rhode Island with the Larry O’Brien trophy, jokingly checked fans’ jerseys to ensure they had the right #11—Pritchard’s number, also shared by Kyrie Irving. With the team fresh off a win against the Mavericks, it could be said that Pritchard beat Irving. Meanwhile, his former Oregon coach has shared some surprising insights about the Celtics guard.

Dana Altman has coached the Oregon Ducks men’s team for the last 14 years. Throughout his career as a coach (even before joining his current team) Altman has trained notable hoopers like Kyle Korver and Dillon Brook. Thus, the 66-year-old veteran knows what a ‘champion material’ might look like. Payton Pritchard too is a product of Dana Altman’s coaching at Oregon University. The HC has closely seen what the Boston Celtics’ hooper can do on the court.

While talking about Pritchard on the You Got Boston podcast, Altman shared a blast from the past about his star student. “His senior year, we were in Seattle playing Washington. He had about a 40-footer to win the game.” Rivals should be worried about a 40-foot shot from the middle of the court! If this isn’t insane, then what is? Altman further shared: “He [Payton Pritchard] didn’t lose in Seattle the four years he was here. He had a game against Arizona his senior year, I think he got 36 that night.”

However, Payton didn’t shoot half-court shots in sophomore years. It was only when he became a junior and later a senior that he got a knack for the lethal buckets. Moreover, his peers highly respected the Celtics’ star for his confidence and presence in the game. “He’s a perfectionist, and he knows he’s a player,” shared Dana Altman.

Payton Pritchard’s former coach’s narration indicated his rise to greatness. In the 2023-24 season, he scored 38, leading the Celtics to the top of the league table. If Dana Altman calls his student one of the best players, the stats back him up undeniably.

The Celtics’ game against the Washington Wizards was a show of Payton Pritchard’s worth in the league

Payton Pritchard delivered his best performance against the Washington Wizards on the final day of the 2023-24 season. What turned out to be a mostly one-sided game, the Celtics quite smoothly won with a 132-122 scoreline. Now, guess who was the top scorer of the day? Of course, Pritchard. He erupted for a career-high 38 points while dishing out 12 assists and grabbing nine rebounds. However, he fell short of a triple-double but that didn’t reduce the importance of the crucial points Payton Pritchard scored for the team.

Meanwhile, the NBA finals witnessed the Oregon University alumnus’ famous mid-court shots. Payton Pritchard is famous for his wild buzzer-beater; in Game 5 against the Mavs, he hit a crucial three-pointer with just 4 seconds left. Luka Doncic missed a free throw and Celtics’ Al Horford grabbed the ball, passing it to Payton. He checked the game and took off with the ball before launching it towards the ring from Boston’s side of the half-court. ESPN Stats confirmed it was the longest NBA Finals shot in 25 years, as Celtics led by 21 points. This eventually helped the team to win their 18th NBA title.

So, the gist of it all is that Payton Pritchard is a valuable player for the Boston Celtics, capable of doing the impossible in times when the team needs him the most. Therefore, his existence in the NBA is extremely important from the game’s perspective as well as the audience’s perspective. Players like Pritchard make the games entertaining thus keeping the eyes hooked to the courts. Now what does the 2024-25 have in store for the 26YO and his team? We’ll know once the season begins to unfold.