Former Boston Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday faced elite competition every day in Boston, but the toughest challenge didn’t come from Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. According to Holiday, the real menace during Celtics practice was Payton Pritchard. The 2x champion named the hard-nosed backup guard as the one who gave him fits during full-court drills.
“It might be Payton [Pritchard],” said Holiday on ‘Run it Back’ TV. “There’s this drill that we have where you have to dribble against Payton full-court. He just be going crazy. Speed, handle, low to the ground so he could body you. Stops on a dime. Payton’s cold, bro.”
Holiday played for two seasons in Boston, where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 46.4% shooting. As their premium two-way starting point guard, Jrue helped lead the Celtics to a championship in 2024, just three years after raising the Larry O’Brien trophy with the Bucks.
Sadly, Holiday’s run with the Celtics just recently ended after a trade to the Trail Blazers this offseason. It’s a major blow to the Celtics’ roster, but they opted to lower their payroll after a series of injuries decimated their title odds for the 2025-26 campaign. Besides Jrue, they also let go of Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis in exchange for Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, and three second-round picks.
In all the changes, they managed to keep Payton Pritchard, and it’s a decision that will pay off in more ways than one. With averages of 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a career-high 28.4 minutes per game last season, Pritchard played a sizeable role on the Celtics, and he was one of the first options off the bench.
His consistent and selfless scoring is only amplified by his smothering defense, which was used in practice as a way to hone his teammates’ ball-handling skills. For Jrue, Payton made a strong impression and seems to think of him as a “secret weapon” of sorts for the team.
Going into next season, with Tatum likely sidelined for the entire campaign, Pritchard will be tasked to take on a bigger role, and it seems he’s up for the task. According to insider Grant Afseth, he’s expected to start over Anfernee Simons and will likely get more time on the court than he’s ever had before.
While the Celtics’ future is far from secured, they can rest easy knowing that they have a proven and dedicated core ready to pick up where they left off in 2024. Once Tatum returns and the roster is healthy again, they’ll be in a great position to challenge the strongest contenders in the East.
As for Payton Pritchard, while he may have flown under the radar for much of his early career, his moment is finally here. With Jrue Holiday gone and Boston leaning on a younger rotation, he’ll have every opportunity to show he’s more than just a spark off the bench.
He’s already earned the title of champion, and now he gets to prove that he can be more than what he’s been so far. If he delivers on that potential, Celtics fans might not have to wait long before they’re back in the title conversation.
