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  3. article_body => "<p>Payton Pritchard has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston Celtics this year. The rookie, selected 26th overall in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, has emerged as a key part of the team's rotation and has averaged 7.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game for the squad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The numbers aren't huge, but they certainly have certainly been a welcome addition for a Celtics bench that was in need of some scoring.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>And even more impressive has been Pritchard's efficiency. So far this season, he is shooting 50 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 90 percent from the free-throw line. According to Taylor Snow of Celtics.com, Pritchard would be the first rookie to post a 50\/40\/90 season in NBA history.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/taylorcsnow\/status\/1357979095217430529\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1612662593\" data-url-provider=\"Twitter\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\n<p>Obviously, it's still very early in the season, but we are past the quarter pole and Pritchard has played in 15 games. So, that's a decent sample size.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Pritchard continuing at this pace may not be sustainable,&nbsp;especially if he hits a rookie wall. But even if his efficiency dips, he'll still be able to provide great minutes for the C's as the team's sixth man.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This potential milestone will be something to monitor with Pritchard over the course of the season, but no matter what happens, the Celtics seem to have unearthed a gem in the draft.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Pritchard will get a chance to improve his numbers&nbsp;Sunday when the Celtics take on the Suns. Coverage of the game will start at 1:30 p.m. ET with <em>Celtics Pregame Live&nbsp;<\/em>and tip-off at 2 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.<\/p>\r\n"
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  21. description => "Payton Pritchard is on pace for a historic rookie season. The Celtics guard could be the first rookie to ever put up this stat line in league history."
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Celtics

/ by Jacob Camenker
Celtics

Payton Pritchard has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston Celtics this year. The rookie, selected 26th overall in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, has emerged as a key part of the team's rotation and has averaged 7.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game for the squad.

The numbers aren't huge, but they certainly have certainly been a welcome addition for a Celtics bench that was in need of some scoring.

And even more impressive has been Pritchard's efficiency. So far this season, he is shooting 50 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 90 percent from the free-throw line. According to Taylor Snow of Celtics.com, Pritchard would be the first rookie to post a 50/40/90 season in NBA history.

Obviously, it's still very early in the season, but we are past the quarter pole and Pritchard has played in 15 games. So, that's a decent sample size.

Pritchard continuing at this pace may not be sustainable, especially if he hits a rookie wall. But even if his efficiency dips, he'll still be able to provide great minutes for the C's as the team's sixth man.

This potential milestone will be something to monitor with Pritchard over the course of the season, but no matter what happens, the Celtics seem to have unearthed a gem in the draft.

Pritchard will get a chance to improve his numbers Sunday when the Celtics take on the Suns. Coverage of the game will start at 1:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live and tip-off at 2 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.

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