Where Payton Pritchard stands in the Sixth Man of the Year race originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Payton Pritchard spent his first four NBA seasons as the most underrated player on the Boston Celtics roster. So far in Year 5, the Sniper’s contributions have been impossible to ignore.
Pritchard made a name for himself nationally with multiple half-court buzzers during Boston’s run to the 2024 NBA championship. This season, he is receiving the national attention he deserves as the best bench player in the league.
The 26th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft averaged 16.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 21 games off the bench. He’s been the sparkplug for the defending champions in their quest for a repeat, and that’s reflected in the race for the 2024 NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
Here are the Sixth Man of the Year odds as of Dec. 3, via Fanatics Sportsbook:
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Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics: -250
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Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets: +1000
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Buddy Hield, Golden State Warriors: +2000
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Tari Eason, Houston Rockets: +2000
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Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers: +2500
It’s no surprise that Pritchard is the hot favorite to win the award. The 26-year-old’s consistency has been key to the Celtics’ 17-4 start to the campaign. In Monday’s victory against the Miami Heathe became the first player this season to score at least 20 points in four consecutive games coming off the bench. He is the first Celtic to achieve this feat since Isaiah Thomas in 2015.
The Celtics rewarded Pritchard with a four-year, $30 million contract extension in October 2023. The deal proved to be one of the best deals in the league and among many slam dunks for Brad Stevens over the course of his tenure as president of basketball operations. .
This article will be updated periodically throughout the season with updates on Pritchard’s Sixth Man of the Year odds.
