The Boston Celtics have once again been one of the best teams in the NBA during the 2024-25 season. After winning the NBA Finals last year, the Celtics seem to have a good shot at defending their title.
However, there are a lot of talented teams who will push Boston to the limit. Just in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers are major threats.
While the Celtics will be led by both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the supporting cast around them will need to step up.
Of course, Boston will receive quality play from names like Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford, but there is one key X-Factor the Celtics will need to step up that could make or break their NBA playoff run.
That player is none other than backup guard Payton Pritchard.
Pritchard brings infectious energy night in and night out. He is the heart and soul of Boston's second unit.
In order to last through a full series, the Celtics are going to need consistent production off of the bench. That will be where they lean heavily on Pritchard.
Throughout the course of the regular season, Pritchard has played in 76 games. He has only received one start.
He has averaged 14.0 points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.9 steals. Also, he has shot 46.6% from the floor and has connected on 41.1% of his 3-point attempts.
Even though he does not receive a ton of credit for Boston's overall success, Pritchard will be a major key come playoff time. His defensive ability, perimeter shooting, and leadership for the second unit will be crucial for the Celtics to win a second straight championship.
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Myles Turner had spent the first ten seasons of his career playing for the Indiana Pacers. Last year, the former Texas star helped lead the franchise to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. However, Turner shockingly signed with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month. Via ESPN's Shams Charania (on July 1): " Free agent center Myles Turner has agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, plus a player option for year four in 2028-29 and a full 15% trade kicker, sources tell ESPN. Stunner." One person who reacted to the signing was New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson (via Roommates Show). Brunson: "I thought the Myles Turner thing was like weird... You know what's crazy about that? I feel like he was on the trading block like every year... It was like that for at least five, six years." Turner finished his final year in Indiana with averages of 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.0 blocks per contest while shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.6% from the three-point range in 72 games. He was the 11th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. As for Brunson, he led the Knicks to the 2025 Eastern Confernece finals They lost to Turner and the Pacers (in six games). Brunson (who has been with New York for three seasons) had averages of 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.3% from the three-point range in 65 games.
Shedeur Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns' equipment staff as the No. 4 quarterback this summer. He'll have a new opportunity following the troubling injury news for Kenny Pickett. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's practice and will not receive reps until his issue is re-evaluated. "Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week, per sources," Schefter posted on X. "Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett's injury will shake up the quarterback race in Cleveland. Through OTAs and early in training camp, Sanders has been the odd man out as the only signal caller on the roster not to receive reps with the first-team offense. It's unclear if the Browns coaching staff intends to give Sanders reps with the first-team offense now that Pickett is sidelined, but the fifth-round pick will have more chances this week to prove that he deserves an opportunity to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are in a unique situation with their rookie quarterbacks. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was selected before Sanders, but the son of Deion Sanders fell to Day 3 of the draft for reasons other than talent. The majority of draft analysts had Sanders as a better-graded quarterback than Gabriel, and many thought the Colorado product would be taken in the first round. The Browns can use the injury as an excuse to give Sanders reps with the first team, and it's a task they need to take advantage of before the team names a starter. Sanders has the potential to be a starter in the league, and this week is pivotal for his rookie season in Cleveland.
Caitlin Clark is expected to sit out for a fourth straight game on Sunday when the Indiana Fever take on the Chicago Sky in a much-awaited rivalry matchup. The 23-year-old is still dealing with a reaggravated groin strain and has no timetable to return. The rest of her Fever teammates have had to step up in her absence. There is, perhaps, no other player who has taken a bigger role on the offensive end amid Clark’s injury spell than three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell, however, struggled with her shot in Thursday’s win against the Las Vegas Aces. The 5-foot-8 guard shot the ball poorly in the first three quarters, going just 4-of-19 from the field for 12 points. Mitchell caught fire in the fourth, though. She went 4-of-5 in the final frame for nine points, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting. This is exactly why head coach Stephanie White remains completely confident in Mitchell’s scoring ability. The veteran coach has made it clear that she has given Mitchell the green light to shoot the rock. “The biggest thing with Kelsey is just telling her, ‘Let it fly.’ It’s going to go,” White said after Thursday’s win against Las Vegas. "... Keep shooting it from outside. She made some big ones when we needed them.” Kelsey Mitchell Has Stepped up Amid Clark's Injury Mitchell has answered the call for the Fever of late. In the three games Clark has been sidelined, Mitchell has put up averages of 22.0 points on 42.9% shooting. She also knocked down 2.7 triples during that stretch on a 34.8% clip. The 29-year-old veteran will need to keep her foot on the gas on Sunday as the Fever try to take down the Sky at United Center. With Clark watching from the bench, the Fever will rely on Mitchell’s scoring against Chicago as they look to improve on their 13-12 record. The Fever and Sky meet at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.
Those running the Minnesota Vikings took somewhat of a gamble when they decided to trust that quarterback J.J. McCarthy would be ready to win meaningful games in September after the 2024 first-round draft pick spent his entire rookie season recovering from a meniscus repair. For an article published on Monday morning, Vikings reporter Alec Lewis of The Athletic explained how McCarthy "has checked critical boxes early on" while serving as Minnesota's QB1 during training camp. "The Vikings have gotten in and out of the huddle on time, and the operation at the line of scrimmage has been smooth," Lewis wrote. "McCarthy used cadences Saturday to create a free play, and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown patted him on the helmet afterward. Processing the defensive picture hasn’t been an issue either. McCarthy executed Saturday’s red zone period as well as anyone could have hoped." Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson raised some eyebrows when he said ahead of the weekend that outsiders "definitely have to have patience" regarding McCarthy's development. Such a comment understandably could've caused an outsider to wonder if the Vikings should've done more to hold onto Sam Darnold after he guided the club to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth last season. After Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5M contract to join the Seattle Seahawks early into free agency, stories linked the Vikings with current Atlanta Falcons backup Kirk Cousins and with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. Cousins played under Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell from September 2022 up until the 36-year-old suffered a torn Achilles in October 2023. Meanwhile, O’Connell and Rodgers have known each other for over a decade. That said, O'Connell handed the offense over to McCarthy before the start of training camp. "The Vikings are fortunate that defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ unit simulates the need for angled throws more than most," Lewis wrote about O’Connell and McCown wanting McCarthy to "add some air" to passes in certain instances. "Defenders positioned on the line of scrimmage often drop, and safeties regularly step down from depth. The changing picture provides a textured feel, which forces McCarthy’s hand." McCarthy seemingly has passed tests thrown his way during his first training camp as Minnesota's undisputed starter. If he doesn't look the part during upcoming exhibition games, however, the Vikings could potentially call the Falcons about Cousins' availability in August. Minnesota opens the preseason with a matchup versus the Houston Texans on Aug. 9.
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