It wasn’t long ago that Boston Celtics reserve guard Payton Pritchard was agitating to get traded to a team where he could play more.
Now, he is on it — even if it happens to be the same franchise that drafted him. After team president Brad Stevens dealt Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis, the playing time Pritchard had clamored for is there for the taking. The former Oregon standout could not be happier for the opportunity.
Buy Celtics Tickets“This is probably the best place to play basketball,” explained Pritchard in a recent interview with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “There’s no other place (like it).
“But at the end of the day, in any line of work, you want to see where you match up and play and compete, and that’s where my head was at,” he added, obliquely referring to his push to get traded at the last trade deadline.
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“I still feel the same way about that,” he added. “I want to go out there and play every game and compete because I feel like I’m good enough to belong out there. I want to keep pushing myself to see how far I can take it.”
Pritchard isn’t alone in that sentiment heading into a critical season for Boston, either. “I feel like guys are really motivated,” he suggested.
“There’s a sense of urgency to do something special. And when you feel it, when you get that chance to win at this level, you’ve got to have a sense of urgency and work toward it.”
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