There has been quite a lot of debate over whether the Boston Celtics will start Payton Pritchard or Anfernee Simons. Some of this may be due to the fact that there has not been all that much to talk about with the NBA currently in the midst of the August doldrums, but it is still an issue that will need to be resolved for the season ahead before opening night rolls around in late October.
Does it make sense to take the league’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year and move him to the starting lineup with the team’s top scorer, Jayson Tatum, out for the season as he rehabs a torn Achilles tendon? Or do the Celtics need to showcase the talents of Simons in order to move his contract before the 2025 trade deadline? If you ask Pritchard, his answer is straightforward.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” said the Oregon alum in a recent interview with CelticsBlog reporter Noa Dalzell. “A lot of things can change in a year – you can start a couple of games, you can not (start).”
“For me, it’s about controlling what I can control – and that’s coming into games and changing the game, and being an unbelievable player and helping my team win,” he explained.
“So that’s the only thing I’m focused on, ever,” added Pritchard. “It’s not about accolades, it’s not about starting or anything like that. It’s about how can I become the best player possible.”
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