Celtics’ Payton Pritchard wins 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Yr Award

Talking earlier this month, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard brushed apart discuss of campaigning for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Yr Award as the highest bench participant within the league. 

“There’s no want for that,” Pritchard stated. “If I get that, it’s not going to cease my journey. It’s not going to cease the work I put in.”

Positive sufficient, the 27-year-old guard didn’t must make his pitch to voters forward of awards season. 

Pritchard’s clear stats spoke for themselves, because the Celtics guard was named the recipient of the Sixth Man of the Yr Award for the 2024-25 season Tuesday night time.

Pritchard took house the consideration with 82 out of 100 first-place votes, giving him the sting over the opposite two finalists for the award in Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome.

Pritchard was thought of the chief within the clubhouse for the award as Boston’s prime offensive activate the bench. Throughout the 2024-25 common season, Pritchard averaged 14.3 factors, 3.8 rebounds, and three.5 assists over 28.4 minutes per contest.

As soon as a reserve guard buried additional down Boston’s depth chart, Pritchard rapidly developed right into a sharpshooting risk in Joe Mazzulla’s 3-point-heavy system, rating fifth within the NBA with 255 made photographs from behind the arc this season whereas sinking 40.7 p.c of his 3-pointers.

Solely Derrick White (265) has extra 3-pointers than Pritchard on Boston’s roster this season. 

“I really feel like I put myself in the perfect scenario doable to win it, so I’m happy with that,” Pritchard stated of his Sixth Man candidacy. “I really feel like I’ve carried out my job so far as serving to this workforce come off the bench and be a spark and attempt to be the perfect bench participant within the league.”

The Celtics have now gained the Sixth Man of the Yr Award 5 occasions because it was first handed out in 1982-83. 

Kevin McHale (‘83-84, ‘84-85) and Invoice Walton (1985-86) gained the award three out of the primary 4 years that it was doled out, whereas Malcolm Brogdon gained it in the course of the 2022-23 season. 

Even earlier than Tuesday’s information grew to become official, Pritchard harassed final week that the person accolade stands as simply one in every of many achievements he positive aspects in his NBA profession. 

“I hope it represents that I’m on the suitable path,” Pritchard stated. “My exhausting work has taken me to those locations, so for me it simply exhibits that I shouldn’t cease what I’m doing and proceed day-after-day to get higher and higher and issues like this that you just thought possibly have been by no means going to occur. Like I stated, you by no means know what the long run can maintain.”

 

Conor Ryan is a employees author protecting the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Crimson Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.