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Former Celtics star says Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown were not the hardest teammates to guard
Former Celtics star says Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown were not the hardest teammates to guard originally appeared on The Sporting News
Former Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holliday recently opened up about what it was like going head-to-head with his former teammates in practice. He was asked whom he found the toughest to defend in practice and Jayson Tatum was not the answer.
Celtics star duo Tatum and Jaylen Brown are some of the elite scorers in the game. Just two seasons ago, they led the franchise to the NBA championship. However, when it comes to practice, these two didn't get the nod from Holiday.
Holiday, who was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason, named Payton Prichard as the toughest assignment during his time in practice. During his appearance on Run it Back, the former NBA champion said:
'Might be Payton. There's this drill that we have where you got to go up against Payton full court. Yeah, and he just be going crazy. Sweet handle, low to the ground so he can body you, and he stops on a dime. I don't know, because doing it in practice and doing it in the game are two completely different things but Payton's cold man.'
How Payton Prichard performed last season?
Last season, Payton Prichard was one of the key reasons why the Celtics were able to finish second in the Eastern Conference with a 61-21 record. One of his most notable performances included a career-high 43 points, along with 10 rebounds and five assists, in a win over the Trail Blazers on March 5. He also notched 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the season finale against the Hornets.
Overall, he averaged 14.3 points per game, up from 9.6 the previous season. Moreover, he shot 47.2% from the field and 40.7% from three, both career highs. Apart from that, he also contributed 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. The improvement in his game is reflected in his minutes as well. Last season, he averaged 28.4 minutes per game, his highest mark yet. Prichard was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for 2024-25.
