Can Anyone Catch Payton Pritchard for the 6th Man Award?

The Boston Celtics are coming off their record 18th Championship season and while a lot of focus has been on the growth and relationship between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the development of the draft picks and bench players has been one of the biggest keys to the Celtics success. Instead of buying different pieces and trying to force them to fit together, the Celtics players have been able to grow and learn how to play with each other from the beginning of their time in the league. This is a team that went through Finals losses and Conference Final letdowns over and over to be able to galvanize as they have and become the best team in the league.

One player that has taken a step forward each year in the league is Payton Pritchard. Pritchard is an undersized guard who played four years in Oregon and knows the kind of work it takes to grow into an NBA-caliber player. His big breakout began in the second-half stretch of the 2024 NBA season that saw Pritchard’s minutes increase and responsibilities grow while filling in for injured guard, Jrue Holiday. Pritchard's legend continued to grow throughout the season as he became the go-to shooter for end-of-quarter and end-of-half situations while consistently knocking down 50 or 60-foot shots as time expired. He proved these shots were no fluke, knocking down a ¾ shot as the first half expired in Game 5 of the NBA finals, all but solidifying the Celtics victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

As the 2025 season began, many analysts and members of the media were focused on the health of Porzingis, Jaylen Brown’s Olympics snub, or Jayson Tatum’s Olympic benching, but they weren’t talking about Payton Pritchard’s hot 2024 finish being anything but a fluke. He has become a second-half assassin who will come off the bench and drop 15 quick points to put a dagger in a team giving everything they had to compete that night. He has consistently been one of the most reliable and hard-working players whenever he is on the floor and the league has finally begun to take notice.

As the Celtics enter the month of December and continue to roll along, picking up win after win, Payton Pritchard has emerged as the favorite for the 6th man of the year award. Based on the odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, Pritchard is the heavy favorite at -290 to win the award. The next closest is De’Andre Hunter at +600 to win. Smart bettors should find the best basketball betting apps and place a bet before Pritchard becomes a heavier favorite. It's not an exaggeration to say that Payton Prichard is beginning to run away with the award with health being the one factor that could keep him from winning. Pritchard is a player who could start for many different NBA teams but he made it clear by extending his contract with the Celtics that he cares most about one thing, winning Championships.

The story of this era of the Boston Celtics is one of growth, player development, and a singular focus on doing your job to help the team lift the trophy again in June and raise banner 19 next October. Payton Pritchard is the embodiment of these ideals and I'm sure as much as he would enjoy winning the 6th Man of the Year trophy, his sole focus is on that next banner. That is what makes him the perfect Celtic and one of the most fun players to root for night in and night out.