Half-Full wrote:BK_2020 wrote:Half-Full wrote:TJ McConnell with a jump shot (and a better 3-point shot). Pretty good description. I think Payton is worthy of TJ McConnell minutes (20-25min/game). I doubt he will see that, but still worthy IMO.
TJ McConnell is a savvy ballhandler and a good passer. He can penetrate and create problems, and run the fast break. He's also a poor three-point shooter and has great court awareness on defense making him a steal threat. Other than being small and white, Payton Pritchard is nothing like TJ McConnell.
He hasn't been asked (allowed?) to do more. He won the Bob Cousy award for best PG his senior year at Oregon. The fact is that Pritchard has not been given a role as PG for the most part. He is a PG, though, and ALL the things you say TJ McConnell can do, so can Payton. There is video evidence to support my view.
McConnell's been doing his thing for years in the NBA against NBA competition. Pritchard has not. In fact in his two years he has shown that he absolutely does not have what it takes to be a playmaker. He can't get by defenders because he lacks burst. He can't keep his head up and make good passes because he's barely dribbling without losing the ball. He doesn't make high value passes. He's not a threat in any of the three levels to score because he can't get a shot off.
What he does is make wide open threes, sometimes help bring the ball up and pass the ball quickly without turning it over a lot.
He's not asked to do more than that because he can't, not because the Boston Celtics just don't like him.
When he does handle the ball, 90% of the time he just dribbles it right back out.
TJ McConnell with Payton Pritchard's 3 point shot would be a really good player. TJ McConnell with Payton Pritchard's shot without any of the things that TJ McConnell does well is just Payton Pritchard and not a very good player.
Pro-Am is probably the best fit for him. The only reason he has an NBA career is because Ainge made a mistake.