The Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard goes to the basket against the Toronto Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl … [+]
Getty ImagesAfter a shaky December, the Boston Celtics ended their highly successful 2025 with a 125-71 demolition of the Toronto Raptors. While it was a complete mismatch, the loss dropped Toronto’s record to 2-26, it was exactly the kind of confidence boost Boston needed after it had lost five of its previous nine games.
New Year’s is traditionally when people make resolutions. One imagines this is also true in professional sports, although with much higher degrees of difficulty. The Celtics’ 2025 goal is as obvious as it is daunting.
Boston is seeking to win back-to-back championships, something the franchise hasn’t done since 1969. They will have to do it in a year where they likely won’t be overwhelming favorites, as they were for most of 2024. The Cleveland Cavaliers alone have made this clear.
Meanwhile, Wyc Grousebeck and the ownership group would love to find a buyer for the team in this new year. As we’ve discussed before, they first need to find a suitor willing and able to make what will almost certainly be a record-setting deal. This is not something entirely within their own hands.
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, currently out with yet another injury, will be hoping for more consistent health in 2025 after having offseason ankle surgery. No matter how motivated Porzingis may be to stay on the floor, he won’t have complete control over his fate. His body will dictate how soon he can return to something close to full strength, and luck will largely determine how long that will last once he does.
When it comes to NBA resolutions, players might have more luck concentrating on individual accomplishments that require less outside assistance. Celtics fans would love to see Derrick White make his first All-Star Team in February after his failed 2024 campaign. Beyond that, Jayson Tatum is still seeking his first MVP award while Jaylen Brown’s teammates remain baffled that he didn’t make the All-Defensive Team last season.
Most surprising among Boston’s award campaigns this season could be Payton Pritchard’s growing case for Sixth Man of the Year. It was no surprise that the Celtics’ losing stretch happened to correspond with a period where Pritchard was scoring in single digits. In Boston’s Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, for instance, he missed all eight of his three-point attempts, despite his 41.9% average from behind the line.
In his last three games, Pritchard has scored 18, 21 and 19 points respectively and the Celtics have gone 2-1. Pritchard bounced back from his Xmas day cold snap by nearly scoring a triple-double in a 142-105 romp over the Indiana Pacers. His production off the bench has helped keep Boston afloat as both Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have missed games thanks to lingering injuries.
It’s hard to remember now, but just a few years ago, Pritchard was dissatisfied with his playing time in Boston and had reportedly demanded a trade. Instead, the Celtics made the surprising move to trade away both Marcus Smart and then-reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon in the deals for Porzingis and Holiday. With plenty of room left on the roster, the Celtics promptly signed Pritchard to a four-year, $30 million extension.
If it felt like an overpay at the time, Pritchard immediately proved that Boston made the right call. First, he was a key factor in their 2023-24 title run, capping off his best year in the NBA by memorably hitting two half-court shots during the Finals. Now it looks like the Celtics could have their second Sixth Man of the Year winner in just three years.
Even if he falls short of this individual achievement, Pritchard can make this a successful year for both him and his teammates just by continuing to play at this level. If the Celtics want to successfully live up to their top 2025 resolution, they will probably need him.
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