Pritchard is not yet ready to run the offense

[liam]

I think Pritchard is an incredible player but at his height just doesn’t have the physical freakish ability on the level of these best players in the world to create separation. I’m not sure where that leaves him. Always be an nba player but also never gonna be a 6 man of the year candidate either. All the props in the works to him though. Dribbling drills s^^^^^^^^ck!!!! Not fun. Amazing handle.

I can see him having a niche as an Eddie House type player. Very good shooter but not someone you can consistently rely on playmaking. Smart looks like Magic Johnson next to him.

Did you see the other 3 games he played? You don’t seem credible. Having one off game out of 4 is normal for a 2nd year player and it happens to Smart all the time.

It *can* be a problem if all the off games start appearing in a pattern: when pressed by a halfway decent defence.

I don't think an NBA team will focus their whole defense to stop a bench guard.

[Kiorrik]

I think Pritchard is an incredible player but at his height just doesn’t have the physical freakish ability on the level of these best players in the world to create separation. I’m not sure where that leaves him. Always be an nba player but also never gonna be a 6 man of the year candidate either. All the props in the works to him though. Dribbling drills s^^^^^^^^ck!!!! Not fun. Amazing handle.

I can see him having a niche as an Eddie House type player. Very good shooter but not someone you can consistently rely on playmaking. Smart looks like Magic Johnson next to him.

Did you see the other 3 games he played? You don’t seem credible. Having one off game out of 4 is normal for a 2nd year player and it happens to Smart all the time.

It *can* be a problem if all the off games start appearing in a pattern: when pressed by a halfway decent defence.

I don't think an NBA team will focus their whole defense to stop a bench guard.

They don't have to. You just put one guy in there to harass the primary ballhandler.

Which is what teams had been doing last season.

Which is what I called out in my post, quoted above, in May.

Which is (and this part's a gamble) why I think PBS didn't play him as much as we fans would've liked.

[smokeablount]

I think Pritchard is an incredible player but at his height just doesn’t have the physical freakish ability on the level of these best players in the world to create separation. I’m not sure where that leaves him. Always be an nba player but also never gonna be a 6 man of the year candidate either. All the props in the works to him though. Dribbling drills s^^^^^^^^ck!!!! Not fun. Amazing handle.

I can see him having a niche as an Eddie House type player. Very good shooter but not someone you can consistently rely on playmaking. Smart looks like Magic Johnson next to him.

Did you see the other 3 games he played? You don’t seem credible. Having one off game out of 4 is normal for a 2nd year player and it happens to Smart all the time.

It *can* be a problem if all the off games start appearing in a pattern: when pressed by a halfway decent defence.

You could be right, but we’re going to need more than a rookie season in the most difficult year ever and one bad summer league game out of 4 to know for sure.

[liam]

I think Pritchard is an incredible player but at his height just doesn’t have the physical freakish ability on the level of these best players in the world to create separation. I’m not sure where that leaves him. Always be an nba player but also never gonna be a 6 man of the year candidate either. All the props in the works to him though. Dribbling drills s^^^^^^^^ck!!!! Not fun. Amazing handle.

I can see him having a niche as an Eddie House type player. Very good shooter but not someone you can consistently rely on playmaking. Smart looks like Magic Johnson next to him.

Did you see the other 3 games he played? You don’t seem credible. Having one off game out of 4 is normal for a 2nd year player and it happens to Smart all the time.

It *can* be a problem if all the off games start appearing in a pattern: when pressed by a halfway decent defence.

I don't think an NBA team will focus their whole defense to stop a bench guard.

They don't have to. You just put one guy in there to harass the primary ballhandler.

Which is what teams had been doing last season.

Which is what I called out in my post, quoted above, in May.

Which is (and this part's a gamble) why I think PBS didn't play him as much as we fans would've liked.

Pritchard is fine against a single defender to bring the ball up. I like it when he passes the ball ahead but he can bring it up.

[liam]

I think Pritchard is an incredible player but at his height just doesn’t have the physical freakish ability on the level of these best players in the world to create separation. I’m not sure where that leaves him. Always be an nba player but also never gonna be a 6 man of the year candidate either. All the props in the works to him though. Dribbling drills s^^^^^^^^ck!!!! Not fun. Amazing handle.

I can see him having a niche as an Eddie House type player. Very good shooter but not someone you can consistently rely on playmaking. Smart looks like Magic Johnson next to him.

Did you see the other 3 games he played? You don’t seem credible. Having one off game out of 4 is normal for a 2nd year player and it happens to Smart all the time.

It *can* be a problem if all the off games start appearing in a pattern: when pressed by a halfway decent defence.

You could be right, but we’re going to need more than a rookie season in the most difficult year ever and one bad summer league game out of 4 to know for sure.

Yeah, the 4 good games should count...

[Walker Wiggle]

The basis for having confidence in Pritchard in 2021-22 isn’t what he just did in summer league. It’s what he showed in his rookie year.

[Kiorrik]

I think Pritchard is an incredible player but at his height just doesn’t have the physical freakish ability on the level of these best players in the world to create separation. I’m not sure where that leaves him. Always be an nba player but also never gonna be a 6 man of the year candidate either. All the props in the works to him though. Dribbling drills s^^^^^^^^ck!!!! Not fun. Amazing handle.

I can see him having a niche as an Eddie House type player. Very good shooter but not someone you can consistently rely on playmaking. Smart looks like Magic Johnson next to him.

Did you see the other 3 games he played? You don’t seem credible. Having one off game out of 4 is normal for a 2nd year player and it happens to Smart all the time.

It *can* be a problem if all the off games start appearing in a pattern: when pressed by a halfway decent defence.

You could be right, but we’re going to need more than a rookie season in the most difficult year ever and one bad summer league game out of 4 to know for sure.

This is fair - but that's been his issue the entirety of last season. I did some searching and I've been calling it out since April/May; his inability to create once inside, and his tendency to pick up the ball too early.

I think he's fast, I think he's got a good handle, but I think his lateral movement speed is easily countered by raw athleticism on a defensive guard. Unfortunately, a lot of guards do have that ability.

Anyway, the above is obviously just my two cents. And I'm not happy that this seems to be a consistent issue because PP is also my fave' player on the C's, after Brown :]


.edit:

Pritchard is fine against a single defender to bring the ball up. I like it when he passes the ball ahead but he can bring it up.

Yeah sorry - I think we just disagree on that :] Soz!

[#1P4P]

Pritchard is a solid young PG, but he isn’t a floor general.

He doesn’t have the poise to command an offense and compose his teammates, which is typical of a young player (there are only 10 players in the NBA that are floor generals and they aren’t all PGs). He needs a play caller and learn how to run a half court offense.

I’m just nitpicking though because Payton’s teammates consistently made unforced errors: stepped out of bounds, fumbled his passes, set terrible screens, all around poor play. He has great qualities, elite shooting with range, great ball handler, decent passer, and smart defender. if he learns how to become a floor general, his ceiling rises.

[#1P4P]

Training camp and practices will be brutal for Pritchard and  Nesmith. Schröder, Smart, Dunn, and Richardson are going to put them in the torture rack. if they don’t perform well behind the scenes, they will be 3rd string.

[Goldstar88]

This thread wouldn’t exist if the summer league season ended last game instead of tonight. Payton had a bad game. He was clearly tired and Mitchell is a very good defender. Let’s not ignore everything else Pritchard did in the other SL games.

[ozgod]

Three great SL games didn't make him the next Jason Kidd...one bad SL game doesn't mean he's trash. But I think it's fair to say that he has a number of things he has to work on. The positive is that there's enough upside to make it worth working on those things.

[gouki88]

I doubt Pritchard will ever see doubles immediately off screens in the NBA with players like the Jays around him...

He'd also played 3 brilliant SL games. Having one off night doesn't make him a dud, lol.

[mr. dee]

Looks like people misunderstood my post and got overdefensive, LOL. Nobody said Pritchard is a dud but against elite defensive teams like the Kings today exposed his limitations. He couldn't pull the moves he did from the 4 previous games.

And lets not forget the Nets series where he got abused, especially on the defensive end. I'm just telling you guys that he's not ready for a starting job with this team, at least not yet. He will work best playing as a bench scorer and that's not a bad thing. Even guys like Lou Williams, JJ Barea and Jason Terry thrived on those roles.

[Jvalin]

I really don't think we'll ask him to run the offense. Tatum runs the offense in the half court. We also got Schroder and Smart who are at their best when playing with the ball in their hands. Pritchard may just bring the ball up the court, but he'll most definitely feed off his teammates in the half court. At least this was the case under Brad.

[Celtics4ever]

I doubt Pritchard will ever see doubles immediately off screens in the NBA with players like the Jays around him...

He'd also played 3 brilliant SL games. Having one off night doesn't make him a dud, lol.

He can play and he is crafty but we've seen it last season at times, a good athletic defender can give him fits.   Davion M is an elite defender and against most guys Peyton can do his thing.   But there will be guys who can bother his shot because of his size, and there are guys who can stay in front of him.  This is true of most any player, to some degree.

Even the mega distances threes weren't there last night because Mitchell denied him and stayed in his space.

That being said, he had a great summer league.   He is a decent second or third string guard.   He is not a starter yet and I doubt he ever will be.   He can definitely play in the league but he is 24 and that means he is done growing  taller and won't be getting more athletic.   He has superlative skills and is smart as a tack.  He was easily the best guy in summer league.