Celtics Guard Predicted to Have Breakout 2025-26 Season

Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard is one of the few healthy meaningful holdovers left from the club's latest championship core.

Gone are center Kristaps Porzingis, big man Al Horford, All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday, and third-string center Luke Kornet.

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Six-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum is recovering from his Achilles tendon tear and will likely miss most or all of the 2025-26 season, although he has ambitions to expedite his comeback despite Boston looking lottery-bound.

So that leaves Pritchard, four-time All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, and two-time All-Defensive Team guard Derrick White as the Celtics' top impact incumbents this year.

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Saddled with a raw, rebounding-free frontcourt, Boston stumbled to an 0-3 start before the emergence of forward Josh Minott helped the club win its last two bouts.

For the Celtics to have any success this year, Pritchard may need to level up.

Jeremy Woo of ESPN projects that Pritchard could enjoy a breakout run in 2025-26 — on top of his breakout tear in 2024-25.

"Boston still has a strong perimeter group, and Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will be the two principal leaders," Woo writes. "Anfernee Simons and his large expiring contract may be more valuable as a trade option than as a part of the team's long-term vision, so it's in the Celtics' best interest to dial Pritchard up more often and let him stretch his output, considering how well he has developed."

Payton's Season So Far

This year, the 6-foot-1 Oregon product has been averaging 14.6 points on .397/.189/.7750 shooting splits, 6.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals a game. The 27-year-old is now a full-time starter for the first time in his pro career.

A career 39.9 percent 3-point shooter heading into the season, it seems likely that his scoring efficacy will turn around soon — and when it does, look for those scoring averages to rocket up. To hear Woo tell it, Pritchard can be effective off the ball, too.

"And he may not necessarily need more on-ball reps to get more shot opportunities," Woo adds. "He should be a beneficiary of what's likely to be a faster and more egalitarian offensive approach in Boston."

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