The Celtics end the first round with an investment at the point guard position. Boston presently lacks a long-term option behind Kemba Walker, and Carsen Edwards seems increasingly unlikely to fill the void. Pritchard isn’t the most exciting prospect, but the Celtics are focused on winning, and Pritchard has all the intangibles of a serviceable NBA role player.
Pritchard has been a staple of winning basketball at Oregon. He’s a hard-nosed competitor and a complete gamer. His effort is there constantly, and he’s a big-time shot-maker on the perimeter. He effectively distributed the ball in Oregon’s offense, and his three-point stroke projects exceedingly well at the next level.
The Celtics add an accomplished prospect who can run the offense in spurts and provide a shot-making lift off the bench. There are other upperclassmen point guards in this range — Cassius Winston is a popular name — but Pritchard provides some extra spunk and spark as a scorer. He gets the nod.