Payton Pritchard Not Worried About STARTING for Celtics | Media Day 2025
Hey Peyton, how’s it going? How you doing? Good. Uh, last season going into training camp, you talked about two of your goals offensively being more efficient, shooting threes off the dribble, and then just wanting to make an impact defensively, especially on the ball this season. What are your goals going into the year? I think, you know, always striving offensively to to be more efficient. I think be more efficient taking off the dribble threes at a higher late rate. the the best three-point shooters in the league like Steph and them, they are unbelievable off catch and shoot and off the dribble. So, it’s an area I think play making uh making the game even easier for my teammates. Uh that can be with passing, but also like being a great screen setter and stuff like that. I feel like the gravity that I can attract off the ball. Obviously, people don’t want me to shoot threes. So, how do I use that to help teammates around me defensively? Now, I definitely need to be more active with my hands. I feel like I do a good job of keeping people in front, making them shoot tough shots, stuff like that. But like, how can I get more steals? How can I create transition opportunities to get easier baskets and get out and run? So, um, you know, it’s always, uh, looking forward to every season to to add to my game and keep growing as a player. though. Um I have two Christian just so my first one uh is obviously we’re going to ask you about this the rule changes that last second heaves aren’t going to count against your field goal percentage. Y what are your feelings on that as a man who was never afraid to take one of those? I mean it’s a it’s a rule change. I mean I would have taken them regardless but maybe it’ll benefit me in having a higher three-point percentage now. So maybe it’s a good thing for me cuz I definitely took one probably about every game. So might go from a 41 to a 43. Um and then how has your role on this team changed after this summer and guys in and out and how much more of a leadership role are you taking? For sure. I think there’s a jump in the leadership role. There’s a a place to be taken there. uh you know and I that can be in different ways you know vocally there will be moments uh but you know you can lead by the way I show up and work every day how hard I compete um never taking a game off never taking a playoff so that’s all leadership qualities um you can’t be a leader unless you are doing everything at the highest of levels you know if I’m showing up putting doing weights doing my treatment being on court then I can challenge guys to to do the same if I’m doing that so that’s a part of, you know, the leadership role that I’m ready to take and um yeah, just helping the team win and strive for greatness. Hey, Payton. Uh over here, you guys have a pretty different team going into this year. You lost a lot of the pieces that were, you know, key parts of your offense and defense. What’s the balance of sort of trying to maintain the play style you guys have had success with the past two seasons versus adapting to the new personnel you have and and how will that affect your game and just the team in general? Well, I definitely think we need to adapt. Uh we do not have the same team, a lot of different players. I think we need to play a lot faster. Um a great opportunity for some some of the new faces to come in here and show what they’re capable of doing and helping winning. Uh but yeah, definitely going to have to but regardless if you kept the same team, you’re going to have to find new ways to win. Uh the year we won, we should have we had to make slight changes to even be better the next year. And you know, the NBA is always evolving. Um, so you got to evolve with it. Hey Payton. Um, you know, I know you’ve experienced a lot with this group, you know, from trying to find a role to being key contributor to championship run to six man of the year. Um, and we know you journal a lot. So, you know, if you could write the next chapter of your story, how do you envision it going? Uh, well, I hate putting go so I’m not the type of person to put goals out there of like saying like like last year I never said like, “Oh, I’m gonna be six man of the year.” Like this year. It’s not a goal of like, “Oh, I’m going be an allstar or anything like that.” That’s not never the mindset for me. The goals I put down on pen and paper are what can I control every day. So, what habits like last year I cut out, you know, drinking alcohol for the year. So, like little things like that, like my sleep habits, my work habits. If I can put those as goals and I achieve those, then the rest will take care of it. My game will elevate again because of the things that I’m doing to to be successful. So, um, you know, when you talk about journaling, it’s it’s more things of that nature, more things what people are saying, motivating factors, um, that I can read at times when I’m struggling for motivation on days that are harder to get up, days that I’m tired on a backtoback that playing that game might be a little bit more difficult. Uh, reading the sometimes the negative things or the people that doubted me, you know, brings energy for me to show up that night and perform at my best. Did you put any new entries like no alcohol things? Did you do anything more this year? Yeah. So, obviously I’ll do that again because I thought that was successful. Um, I think sleep especially for an NBA season is very important. So, just trying to have a sleep goal every night. Now, it’s hard on backtobacks. But, I would say more of the recovery aspect. Um, you know, there’s opportunity to play a little bit more minutes. So, I got to make sure that I’m recovering at a high level. And I had a unbelievable experience watching, you know, guys like Drew Holiday, Al Horford’s, ultimate pros, how they took care of their bodies and stuff like that. So, definitely learn from the best. Final two questions, Bobby. Hey, Peyton. Uh, what’s your mindset on possibly starting this year? Is that something you you’re a guy who always wants to push himself to another level. Is that something you want to strive for or have you kind of grown comfortable with that six-man and the routine of that? I think you talked a little bit about that last year as well. Um, it does not matter to me. Uh, starting or coming off the bench, that’s something that I have no control over. That’s Joe’s decision, but my only mindset is when I touch that floor, I bring my best. So, if I am starting, like I’m ready for that. And if I’m coming off the bench, I’m not going to be sour about it and like hang my head. It’s when my number’s called, I’m I’m ready. So, and that’s really should be the mindset of this whole team. Like, there’s going to be people are going to be asked to do different things each night. Some guys are going to be asked to maybe not play as much and like how can you show up as a teammate? So, it’s another way of being a leader like through all that. If Joe’s gonna ask me come off the bench one game, start one game, like keep, you know, keep the same attitude and approach through it all. So, yeah. Question. Hi, Payton. How you doing, man? Good. Good. Good. See you. Um, at your position, you were a dominant player at Oregon. Do you have that mindset at this point in your career in the NBA? And the other question I want to ask you, how are you guys actually dealing with Jason’s injury? Um, do you guys talk about that or you supportive? How do you And uh you want me to answer the first one or the second one? First uh we’ll start with JT’s. Uh you never want to see somebody get injured like that, but watching how he’s been able to approach every day and the spirit he has is unbelievable. And I think he will have he’ll be better than what he than what he was before. Uh that’s the type of mentality he has and the that’s the type of work he’s putting in. So um I’ve been here since second week of August um back and forth even in the beginning of summer and he’s been in here every day training. So you definitely know he’s motivated. And then um your first question was Yeah, for sure. Like I said, I’m always searching to take a step. So, you know, trying to better myself to be the best play Payton Pitcher possible on the court. So, um you know, just having that confidence and that swagger when I’m walking on the court that I believe I’m the best player. So, that will never go away and I’m I’m looking forward to to showing that this year. Thank you. Thank you guys.
BRIGHTON – The Celtics held Media Day at the Auerbach Center on Monday. Payton Pritchard spoke on potentially starting and Jayson Tatum. “I think he’ll be better than what he was before. That’s the type of mentality he has and the work he’s putting in.”
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4 comments
this guys got a great mindset. Can't wait to watch PP this year .. let's goo!!
P Rabbit will have an even better season this year. I can tell just by looking at his eyes!
Payton Pritchard need 6man this coming off-season because Brown & White more touches in 1st quarter before him
He got rewarded for his role and he still plays starter minutes. I think hes content