Opening night NBA Sixth Man of the Year rankings

1. Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics

Payton Pritchard reportedly wanted out from the Celtics last season, desperate for a chance to actually get on the floor and play consistent minutes. But Boston held onto him and with Marcus Smart gone, there is finally a path for the slick-shooting, energetic guard to carve out a role for himself.

Even in his limited minutes, Pritchard has demonstrated what he can do. He's made 40 percent of his career 3-pointers and has shown he can be a steady pull-up shooter, with just enough craft and bust to make himself a viable three-level scorer. His scoring efficiency was well above average last season as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll and he knows how to attack a defense.

Pritchard got plenty of run in the preseason — averaging 15.6 points and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 36.2 percent from beyond the arc — and will begin the season as the primary back-up point guard to Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. His comfort level on and off the ball opens a pathway to even more minutes and there's a chance he can off consistent scoring pop off the bench. If he's averaging 12-15 points off the bench for, perhaps, the best team in the Eastern Conference, he could very well find him the frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year.