The NBA isn’t a fair business. Guys with skills sit on benches all the time, wondering when they're going to get their shot.
Even guys who have proven they can play, like Payton Pritchard, can get stuck behind other players with more experience, or simply players the coach prefers.
“It’s been a little tough on him,” Jaylen Brown said after the game. “I talk to Payton all the time. He's a guy that’s talented and he wants to prove himself. … So it was tough on him in stretches where he didn’t play as much.”
What’s worse is that opportunities for players in this situation are infrequent, and sometimes surprising. They depend on things out of the player’s control, which only intensifies the spotlight on their opportunities.
“He hasn't gotten the opportunity as much early in the year with Dennis (Schröder), and now Dennis being gone it opens up some stuff for him. Derrick (White) wasn't his best tonight, so he got more of a run there and even with Marcus (Smart) in the foul trouble, afforded us more opportunity." Ime Udoka said. "And we stuck with him. He was playing well, guarding well, making shots, and being aggressive.”
Pritchard is making the most of his chances now that he’s getting more of them. Against the Pistons he was the spark plug that finally got Boston’s engine revving. His game-tying 3-pointer was like Han Solo showing up out of nowhere to give Luke Skywalker the clear shot at blowing up the Death Star.
"It's definitely a good feeling just to get a win, to contribute like that,” Pritchard said. “For me, in the role I'm in and some of the guys coming off the bench, you gotta find different ways to affect the game. It's not always going to be with scoring, you gotta get stops. For me, it's just finding those little ways I can contribute."
One of Payton’s most important plays actually came off a blown layup. Staying with the play, rebounding his own miss, and getting the ball out to Jayson Tatum actually ended up giving Boston a double-digit lead.
“Payton’s got a great work ethic, so I think that supersedes it all,” Brown said. “And he has a great mentality, and if he just – that’s half the battle man. Like you just have the right mindset, you’ll get your opportunity. And seems like Payton is getting his opportunity now. He’s starting to make the right plays and really add to winning, and that’s most important for us.”
Brown and Pritchard have gotten close over the course of the season. Practice sessions often end with them locked in one-on-one battles, and where you see one of them in pregame warmups, you’ll see the other close by.
“He’s never going to give up. Those are the guys I like to be around,” Brown said. “His confidence in himself is high, and mine is the same way. It’s almost like if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will. And Payton is one of those people that he’s never going to give up on himself, he always believes in himself no matter what the situation is. It doesn’t matter if the cards are stacked up against him, Payton is the type of guy to bet on himself. Those are the types of guys I like to roll with.”
Confidence is key in the NBA. It’s why he can keep taking the shots he takes, and why the team continues to look for him in those spots. But confidence, even in generally confident players, can waver.
"For me, this whole year, has just been about trying to not get down,” Pritchard said. “It's frustrating but to stay with your work and I looked at it as a way I can get better, off-days, game days. Just keep working hard and then your moment will eventually come."
It is a bit easier when one of the team’s stars has your back. Brown has given Pritchard some guidance based on his own tough early experiences, which now seem like they took place a lifetime ago. Brown’s rookie season was full of ups and downs, including benchings.
Now Brown is a cornerstone of the franchise’s future. There are plenty of people, myself included, who wouldn’t have guessed he’d be this important after his rookie year. It’s a chip Brown carries on his shoulder to this day, and he sees in Pritchard many of those same qualities.
“I feel like I’ve been in every position and role,” Brown said. “So just sharing my input about the rigors of the NBA and things to look out for, and you’ll be fine. Payton’s got talent, he can really play, I can vouch for that, so he’ll be alright and we’re gonna make sure he’s good.”