5 second-year NBA players ready for a breakout season

Payton Pritchard looks to build off a great Summer League for the Boston Celtics

Unlike Cleveland, the Boston Celtics are almost certainly going to be a playoff team. They may not be anything better than a No. 6 seed, but they should still get there. One player who looks to be on the rise for them is second-year shooting guard Payton Pritchard. He tore it up in Summer League, and the Celtics are expecting similar results in his expanded role on the 2021-22 squad.

Pritchard was the No. 26 overall pick out of Oregon in 2020. While he will be turning 24-years-old in January, look for Pritchard to build off a strong rookie season with the Celtics where he averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in 19.2 minutes per contest. With Kemba Walker now out of the picture, Pritchard may get more run if Dennis Schröder remains immature.

Ultimately, Pritchard will have a sizable rotational role on the Celtics, possibly getting a handful of starts if Celtics are a bit limited in the backcourt. He will benefit playing alongside the likes of Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum for another season. Though Pritchard is closer to a finished product than others on this list, his floor for what he can be in the NBA is incredibly high.

Frankly, Boston needs Pritchard to continue to grow if the Celtics want to make a charge this year.