Payton Pritchard is the front-runner for the Sixth Man of the Year Award

NBA teams are enjoying an unprecedented level of talent and depth coming off the bench in 2024-25. Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga have become a lethal second unit one-two punch for the Warriors. Last year’s Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid, is hitting an impressive 43.2% from deep in Minnesota and Tre Mann’s scoring bursts have helped make the Hornets relevant in the Eastern Conference.

Amid this wave of second-unit excellence, one player stands above the rest: Payton Pritchard. Through the early part of the season, he has established himself as the league’s premier bench contributor.

Pritchard has always been known as a sharpshooter, but he’s taken his long-range game to new heights this season. He’s nearly doubled his three-point attempts from 4.7 per contest in 2023-24 to 8.9 this year. Although many role players struggle to sustain their accuracy with increased usage, Pritchard is shooting a career-best 41.9% from beyond the arc while pouring in 15.5 points per game.

Despite coming off the bench, Pritchard ranks 17th in the NBA in True Shooting Added (28.6) — a metric that quantifies how many points a player scores above league-average efficiency. He’s not simply connecting off of wide-open catch-and-shoot opportunities either. Ranking 10th on the Celtics in shot quality, he’s hitting 50.0% of his very tightly contested attempts (a defender 0-2 feet away) and 51.2% of his tightly contested shots (a defender 2-4 feet away). 

While Pritchard’s sharpshooting stretches opposing defenses and creates valuable space for Jayson Tatum, who currently sits fourth in the NBA in scoring, he’s far from a one-dimensional athlete. 

“He makes plays himself,” Celtics teammate Jrue Holiday said of his teammate, via Matt Geagan of CBS Boston. “He knows how to play well off people. He can get to the paint and score. He can score from three. He can score from half-court. A very efficient player. Somebody you love to play with. The way that he plays is winning basketball.” 

Even in a Celtics offense that leads the league with 51.1 three-point attempts per game — Pritchard consistently showcases his ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. He’s fifth on the team in drives at 3.6 per contest while converting an impressive 76.9% of his shots at the basket.

On defense, Pritchard may lack the size at 6’1" and 195 pounds to be a true lockdown perimeter defender. Still, he compensates with relentless effort and tenacity. A nuisance, he redlines throughout the game, putting constant pressure on opposing players, fighting through screens and contesting shots beyond the arc. Overall, the former Oregon point guard is second on the Celtics in total steels at 16 while holding his assignments to a solid 48.3% shooting mark from the field.

The Celtics boast a rich history of impactful bench players, with Hall-of-Famers Kevin McHale and Bill Walton winning Sixth Man of the Year honors. Now, Pritchard appears poised to become Boston’s latest player to take home the award in 2024-25. His outside touch, crafty scoring and tenacious defense have made him an indispensable part of the Celtics' second unit and a critical factor in their pursuit of a second consecutive title.