What is Payton Pritchard's Ceiling in 2026?



In the 2025 season, Payton Pritchard had a breakout season, posting career a career high in points at 14.3 while maintaining good efficiency, and it won him the 6th man of the year trophy. But could he take it a step further?

The rumors surrounding Payton Pritchard's role in the 2026 season has posed an interesting question. Will he be better or worse in this role? If his career has indicated anything, it is that he gets better with more opportunity. In 2024, he saw a 9 minutes per game increase from the previous year, and he averaged 4 points more per game on very good efficiency. In 2025 it was the same story, and he became the best bench player in the NBA. 

If Pritchard was to be a starter, he would likely average roughly 32-24 minutes per game. Per StatMuse, Pritchard played 18 games over 30 minutes in 2025 and averaged 18.3 points while shooting 49/41 splits. A great sign for the Celtics. 

However, there are some drawbacks, one of them being that the spacing will be considerably worse without Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis for the defense to focus on. The other side of the ball brings it's own issues as well. Pritchard's size does not allow him to be a great defender, and a defensive liability on the court for 30 or more minutes per game could pose problems for the Celtics.

The offense may suffer slightly efficiency wise, but the contributions will still be felt, but the defense may not be as solvable with so many key defenders leaving. Pritchard was always on the floor with at least 2-3 elite defenders at all times, and that will no longer be the case in 2026, and he will be much harder to hide as a target. 

It remains to be seen how the Celtics defensive scheme is adjusted in 2026 with a retooled roster, but zone defense may be the best option not just for the team, but Pritchard specifically. Pritchard can give great effort in man or 1-on-1 defense, but there is only so much he can do at his size. 

A zone defense would allow him and other defensively struggling players to simply guard an area and force bad shots or turnovers, rather than trying to defend in isolation. If Pritchard can be a neutral player on the defensive side of the ball, he could make some noise and get into the all star conversation, which would bode well for future contract negotiations.

The 2026 season is a critical point in Pritchard's career, and if he performs well, it could shape the Celtics future. 


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