Payton Pritchard warns the NBA: "It won't be a sabbatical year for the Celtics"

Boston Celtics' summer has been very complicated. Due to Jayson Tatum's serious injury in the last NBA playoffs, the franchise decided to get rid of the high contracts of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to free up salary cap space. But even so, they couldn't renew Al Horford in Free Agency, and he will move to the Golden State Warriors. Despite all this, Payton Pritchard sees many reasons to trust in the franchise.

In Boston, the dominant narrative seems clear: without Jayson Tatum (who will not play the entire season), the Celtics must accept a transitional season in the NBA. However, within the locker room, the mentality is very different. Payton Pritchard, the recent winner of the Sixth Man of the Year award, has become the strongest voice against the idea that the Celtics should give up competing in the 2025-26 season.

The guard, who at 27 comes from the best season of his career (14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists with a 40.7% three-point shooting percentage), spoke with CelticsBlog during a tournament organized in Roxbury. There, he left a message that resonated strongly among fans: "I have always played with one mentality: to compete for the ring. People may call it a sabbatical year, but as a competitor, that should never exist. Especially not in Boston."

As already mentioned, the team's situation invites pessimism. Tatum will miss the entire season after rupturing his Achilles tendon, while other rotation pillars like Jrue Holiday (Portland), Kristaps Porzingis (Atlanta), Luke Kornet (San Antonio), and Al Horford (who seems headed to Golden State) are no longer part of the roster.

What remains is a smaller core: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Pritchard himself, accompanied by promising young players like Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheiermann, or Neemias Queta. Predictions place them around 42 wins, far from the elite, and NBA.com's power ranking ranks them as the fourth worst team in the East pre-season.

The starting point guard debate

For Pritchard, who has so far shone as a microwave off the bench, the possibility of becoming a starter for the first time in his career arises. However, the Celtics also have Anfernee Simons, who arrived from Portland and has been an undisputed starter over the last three seasons, averaging 19.3 points in his NBA career.

The dilemma has ignited the fans: should they reward Pritchard's loyalty and growth or bet on Simons' proven scoring profile? However, the player himself downplays the debate: "Many things change in a year. You can be a starter or not, but the only thing that matters is controlling what I can control: impacting the games and helping my team win. It's not about accolades or a specific role; it's about being the best player I can be."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Payton Pritchard avisa a la NBA: "No va a ser un año sabático para los Celtics"