Celtics’ Payton Pritchard surges to third overall in Rookie Wire’s Power Rankings

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/celtics-payton-pritchard-surges-third-225517289.html



Celtics’ Payton Pritchard surges to third overall in Rookie Wire’s Power Rankings


Justin Quinn
Wed, April 28, 2021, 3:55 PM






Boston Celtics rookie point guard Payton Pritchard has had a bit of a roller coaster of a season in his inaugural campaign in the NBA.

With a hot start muted by an injury part-way through the season, followed by a mild resurgence tripped up by the rookie wall, the Oregon product seems to have unlocked another level to his game in the pros in recent days, having scored a career-high 28-points in his most recent game. It’s started to catch the eyes of the wider NBA media, including those belonging to the editor of our sister site Rookie Wire, Cody Taylor.

Our prospect-oriented imprint’s editor had plenty to say about the West Linn native’s recent play; let’s take a look at his assessment.


"While his 7.7 points per game on the season hardly stands out, Pritchard has upped his level of play recently and is on his best run of the year," observes Taylor, who rates him third overall among first-year players in recent play.

"He is coming off of a career-high 28-point performance on Tuesday in a curious loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Outside of that display, Pritchard has scored in double figures in six of his last seven outings and is averaging 14.6 points on 48.8% shooting (20-of-41) from 3-point range during that span."

Pritchard's deep outside shooting has been making the first-year floor general especially dangerous of late, stretching defenses as word gets into scouting reports of what the Oregon native can do from beyond the arc. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1387406305397288963?s=20

Perhaps the confidence of his recent shoe deal with Nike has put a bit of extra bite in his daggers, with Pritchard having recently inked his first pro endorsement deal for a sneaker company. Whatever has been behind Pritchard's late resurgence, it's been one of the few bright spots in the team's recent three-game losing streak.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Danny hit a homerun with this kid at #26, he is such an overachiever!  It's hard to find a solid NBA player that far down in the draft.  Injuries, limited offense, weak on defense, tweeners, they all have flaws of some kind.  That's why they are drafted down there and not higher.  In Pritchard's case some of it is his size, 6'2", and some of it was that he was a 4-year player and not some prodigy coming out after one year of college that make GMs salivate from FOMO.  I am seeing the value of those extra years at Oregon on the court every game.  How about you?  Nesmith is also looking good at #14, end of the lottery and mid-first rounder.  Picking winners in the top 5 or so is easy.  Finding winners in the lower half of the first round isn't and I think Danny picked two winners last year.

Here's the link to the Rookie Wire ratings.  I said I wouldn't take Halliburton before Pritchard if I had to pick again.  They rate Pritchard #3.  Halliburton is #4.  Halliburton was a lottery pick.

https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/lists/rookie-wire-power-rankings-april-28-cole-anthony-payton-pritchard/



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