NBA teams are experiencing an incredible surge of talent and depth from their benches in the 2024-25 season.
Warriors’ Dynamic Duo
Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga have become a powerful duo for the Warriors, making their second unit a force to reckon with. Meanwhile, Naz Reid, last year’s Sixth Man of the Year, is shooting an impressive 43.2% from three-point range for Minnesota. Tre Mann’s scoring bursts have also made the Hornets a team to watch in the Eastern Conference.
Payton Pritchard: A Standout Performer
Among all these talented players, Payton Pritchard shines as a standout performer off the bench this season. Known for his shooting skills, Pritchard has taken his game to new heights by nearly doubling his three-point attempts from last year. Despite this increase, he maintains a career-best accuracy of 41.9% from beyond the arc while averaging 15.5 points per game.
Pritchard ranks 17th in True Shooting Added in the NBAโa metric that shows how efficiently he scores compared to others. He excels not only at open shots but also makes tightly contested ones with defenders close by.
Pritchard’s Versatility on Offense
While Pritchard stretches defenses with his shooting, he’s more than just a shooter. As Jrue Holiday puts it, โHe makes plays himself… A very efficient player.โ In Boston’s high-volume three-point offense, Pritchard can drive to the basket tooโheโs fifth on his team in drives per game and converts most of those opportunities.
Fans love seeing such versatility; it keeps games exciting!
Defensive Tenacity
On defense, although not physically imposing at 6โ1″ and 195 pounds, Pritchard compensates with hustle and determination. He’s constantly pressuring opponents and is second on the Celtics in total steals while holding opponents to respectable shooting percentages.
The Celtics have had great bench players like Kevin McHale and Bill Walton before him; now it’s looking like Pritchard could be next in line for Sixth Man honors with his crucial contributions both offensively and defensively as Boston aims for another championship win!
