{"id":21218,"date":"2023-10-13T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.celticsblog.com\/2023\/10\/13\/23914123\/three-leaf-clover-payton-pritchards-playmaking-svi-mykhailiuks-offensive-mind-defense-derrick-white"},"modified":"2023-10-13T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T14:00:00","slug":"three-leaf-clover-payton-pritchards-playmaking-svi-mykhailiuks-offensive-mind-and-in-defense-of-derrick-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/13\/three-leaf-clover-payton-pritchards-playmaking-svi-mykhailiuks-offensive-mind-and-in-defense-of-derrick-white\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Leaf Clover: Payton Pritchard\u2019s playmaking, Svi Mykhailiuk\u2019s offensive mind, and in defense of Derrick White"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"Philadelphia
Photo by Brian Babineau\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PP and Svi have led a fun Celtics bench squad in three preseason games, while Derrick White is left off ESPN\u2019s top 100. <\/p>\n

Welcome to Week 2 of Three Leaf Clover, CelticsBlog\u2019s week in review. We are quickly approaching the actual regular season where the points count, and the games do matter. Can\u2019t wait. In the meantime, here\u2019s three things that caught my eye this past week. <\/p>\n

Stat of the Week – 29.3% assist percentage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Boston\u2019s backcourt reshuffle is Payton Pritchard. After seeing his minutes decrease for two straight years, PP will play, but the bigger question is: will he play make<\/em>? Pritchard has had the ball in his hands quite a bit in these half-serious, half-pickup games in the preseason. With two high minute guards out the door and only one replacing them, there\u2019s going to be opportunities for another ballhandler to emerge, especially one that can get downhill, get into the paint, and find open shooters. <\/p>\n

Historically, that has not been PP\u2019s game. His 15.3% assist percentage last year was 125th in the league among qualified players, lower than noted point guards Josh Hart and Royce O\u2019Neil. While his 9.18 drives per-36 last year was a respectable number, he did very little with them, shooting 35.9% with a lowly 10.6% assist percentage. There\u2019s legitimate concern that Pritchard will be relegated to undersized shooting guard the majority of his career.<\/p>\n

\n \"Boston
\n Photo by Sarah Stier\/Getty Images<\/cite>
\n <\/figure>\n

Well, he\u2019s come out firing in the preseason, and I don\u2019t mean from three (although he\u2019s definitely doing that too). That 29.3% number above is Payton Pritchard\u2019s assist percentage so far. Who said this man couldn\u2019t pass?! That\u2019s exactly what Josh Giddey\u2019s assist percentage was last season! I don\u2019t have his assist percentage on drives because apparently NBA.com<\/a> doesn\u2019t track that during preseason (which is something I definitely should have checked before using that stat in the previous paragraph), but I have a very good feeling that\u2019s a lot higher as well. And who needs advanced stats when you have \u201cgood feelings?\u201d Not me, that\u2019s who. <\/p>\n

Do I think Pritchard will keep up this lofty level of playmaking during the entirety of the season? No, but he looks more aggressive and comfortable with the ball and is getting into the teeth of the defense regularly. He\u2019s also making higher level reads all over the floor. <\/p>\n

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This is very good stuff from PP. Not the type of pass he’s made when the ball is in his hands earlier in his career. Starting to understand defenses. pic.twitter.com\/mTCi7lPlaA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Wayne Spooney (@WSpooney) October 12, 2023<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n