Payton Pritchard on Mindset, Affordability and Offseason Development
The offseason grind, brand moves, and mindset behind a rising Celtics star.
It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for Payton Pritchard — almost to the day. On June 17, 2024, the Boston Celtics secured an 18th championship banner, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
Just shy of two months later, Pritchard got married. The ceremony occurred on August 10 at the Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port. In a fun wrinkle to the day, Blake Griffin was the officiator, much to the delight of Celtics fans worldwide.
However, the Pritchards only had a finite amount of time to celebrate their nuptials. Boston’s preseason training camp began on September 25, and the wheels up to Abu Dhabi followed closely after training camp wrapped up.
Despite the excitement of that summer, Pritchard had to lock in. After all, he was part of a roster transitioning from being the hunter to the hunted.
“Man, it was a wild summer,” Pritchard told the Celtics Chronicle. “Winning a title and getting married back-to-back was unreal. But once the season started, it was back to business. You enjoy the moment, but then it’s like, alright, now let’s run it back. The mindset shifts quickly when you’ve got a target on your back.”
Even with a shorter offseason, the championship celebrations, a wedding and of course, a honeymoon, Pritchard still found time to add to his game. Coming into the new season, the Oregon product told the media he’d developed his off-the-dribble game — something he saw as a key aspect to unlocking his undoubted scoring ability.
"Getting more consistent off the dribble for the 3-ball," Pritchard told reporters during the 2024 Celtics Media Day. "I thought my finishing and my mid-range game last year took a big jump. I thought that was good. Obviously, I'm always working on that stuff, but if I can be more efficient shooting off the dribble from there, as well as the catch-and-shoot, then that completes my game.”
That off-the-dribble game quickly became a core part of Pritchard’s offensive approach. In the 2023-24 season, he averaged 2.4 pull-up shots per game, shooting 40.6%. Of those 2.4 shots, 1.4 of them came from 3-point range, where he converted at a 30.6% clip.
Pritchard averaged 3.8 pull-up attempts this past season, with 2.9 coming from deep. His overall conversion held steady despite the increased volume, with him shooting 39% for the season. However, it was on the perimeter where that work paid off the most, going from 30.6% to 34.8% on over an additional shot per game.
“Yeah, that work really paid off,” Pritchard told the Celtics Chronicle. “This summer, I’m looking to expand my game in all areas. You can always continue to improve and refine all elements of your game. Both on offense and defense.”
A common trope within sports is that growth is never linear. For the most part, that rings true. In fact, Jaylen Brown is one of the few players I’ve witnessed who has taken significant developmental steps year after year. However, Pritchard is hot on Brown’s heels. Just two seasons ago, the 6-foot-1 guard added a tool to his game that opened up his interior scoring.
I like to call that tool “bump creation.” If you’ve been around this newsletter for a while, you’ve seen me dissect the value of Pritchard’s ability to create space via contact on countless occasions.
"Bump creation" has become Pritchard's signature move in traffic. Rather than shying away from contact, he's learned to use his body, speed and balance to create the separation needed for clean looks at the rim, or at least to give him an additional second or two to make a read.
“Haha, I like that (the term bump creation),” Pritchard told me. “That’s something I’ve worked a lot on. Being a smaller guard, you’ve got to find ways to create separation. I studied guys who are great at using their body and not avoiding contact but using it to your advantage. It’s become a part of my game that I lean on more and more. One of my coaches also recommended I read The Art of War, which got me into the mindset.”
I’ve always found a players offseason developments to be fascinating. Not in the sense that they’ve found ways to improve, but rather, how they pinpointed specific areas. Do the coaches play a role? How do skills trainers fit into the equation? And what if a player has his own ideas?
“It’s a mix,” Pritchard said. “I talk with the coaches, watch a ton of film, and just feel it out during games. You notice what’s working, where there’s space, and where teams are adjusting, then you take that into the offseason and build from there.”
For anyone else interested in player development and what goes into that side of the game, I highly recommend watching my interview with Drew Hanlen from a few months back. Pritchard’s comments mirror some of what Hanlen said and help build a mental picture of the process that goes into building these developmental blueprints.
Pritchard’s commitment to improving his game has clearly paid dividends. He is heading into the summer of 2025 fresh off winning the Sixth Man of the Year award after cooking teams off the bench all season long.
By becoming more of a threat at the rim — largely due to his “bump creation” — defenders couldn’t play him as close. However, by adding an off-the-dribble jumper, teams couldn’t sag too far off, either. Suddenly, Pritchard became a three-level scoring threat with blistering speed and a growing playmaking repertoire.
Those developments, and the success that comes with them, have led Pritchard to become a desirable asset for brands looking to raise their profile or team with a now-established talent.
As with any NBA player, the first major milestone in terms of brand deals happens with a sneaker company. Earlier this year, Pritchard joined the Converse family, notably turning down Brown’s 741 brand in the process.
“There were a lot of companies,” Speaking pre-game on April 8, Pritchard explained his decision to join Converse. “A lot of people put their offers out. Ultimately, Converse’s offer and what everything with it was I thought was the best decision for myself. … Converse I feel like it appealed to me in the lifestyle stuff.”
Fresh off that deal with Converse, Pritchard has been unveiled as the new face of Samsonite, the travel gear brand. The partnership represents another step in Pritchard's growing off-court profile, as brands appear to be increasingly recognizing his marketability.
For a player who's built his reputation on being reliable and consistent, the fit seems natural.
“Honestly, Samsonite just made sense,” Pritchard told me. “I’m on the road all the time for games, appearances, and personal travel, and I need bags that can keep up. Their stuff is sleek, durable, and just works. They’re not flashy, they’re functional, and that’s what I’m all about.”
One thing that has stood out to me regarding Pritchard’s deals with Converse and Samsonite is that both companies are affordable yet respected. This led me to wonder whether that was a distinct choice from Pritchard and a sign of his mindset when looking for brands to align himself with.
After all, he wouldn’t be the first NBA star to lean into accessibility rather than exclusivity that prices out the average fan.
“For sure,” Pritchard said. “I like working with brands that are solid and accessible. Not everyone can go grab some crazy expensive gear, and I want the stuff I’m repping to feel like it’s for everybody. Brands like Converse and Samsonite have legacy and style, but they’re still relatable, and that’s important to me.”
NBA players spend a significant amount of time on the road, with 41 games across the country quickly racking up the air miles. So, it’s only natural that I wondered whether we would see Pritchard donning a Samsonite suitcase in any photos the team chooses to share next season. After all, if you’re promoting it, the next question becomes whether you’re repping it yourself.
“Oh, no doubt,” Pritchard said. “Whether I’m flying out for training or just getting some downtime, I’ve got my Samsonite gear with me. I’ve been using the Silhouette 18 spinner since it’s smooth through the airport and looks clean, so I’m all in on it.”
Pritchard joined the Celtics as the 26th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He was Danny Ainge’s final selection for the Celtics before leaving the franchise and making way for Brad Stevens to move upstairs.
That 2020 guard rotation consisted of Tremont Waters, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Pritchard. You could be forgiven if you didn’t expect much from an undersized guard fighting for minutes within that rotation.
Things went from bad to worse for Pritchard during the 2022-23 season, as he found himself glued to the bench during Joe Mazzulla’s debut season. However, Stevens fought to keep Pritchard around, and that decision is clearly paying dividends.
Not only has he become a core part of the rotation, but he’s now seen as one of the more difficult players to acquire from the Celtics.
“Boston is believed to be open to listening to any player on its roster not named Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown,” Jake Fischer reported via the Stein Line Newsletter on June 12. “I'd put Payton Pritchard and Derrick White right behind those two franchise cornerstones as extremely hard-to-get as well. The Celtics would likely have to listen to any ultra-aggressive offer for this season's Sixth Man of the Year, but Pritchard is currently projected to shoulder a significant role in Boston's offense for the 2025-26 season.”
Sometimes the best stories are the ones that take time to unfold. Championship rings, wedding bells, Sixth Man awards, and brand deals - not bad for a whirlwind 12 months. The best part? Pritchard's story is still being written.
If you want to hear more from Pritchard regarding his decision to team up with Samsonite, this three-part YouTube series has you covered.