- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,194,481
- Reaction score
- 59
For a flower to blossom, sometimes you need to remove what's around it to ensure more sunlight gets in.
With the Boston Celtics, that appears to be part of the thinking when it comes to the blockbuster Jaylen Brown trade, especially when it comes to former Oregon Ducks star Payton Pritchard.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that Brown, a former NBA Finals MVP, was being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in return for Paul George, a pair of first-round picks, and a pair of second-round picks. While Brown is considered one of the best players in the league, many have felt that this was not a big enough return for Boston.
One of the factors that went into the move for the Celtics, though, is what it might bring out of Pritchard, who has been ascending into one of the most valuable players on the team over the last couple of years. Now, with more minutes ahead of him, it appears that Boston is expecting a major leap to take place.
According to NBA reporter Tom Haberstroh, the Celtics expect Pritchard to see a "Jalen Brunson-like" ascension now that Brown is out of the lineup.
"The Celtics trading [Jaylen] Brown is a bet that [Payton] Pritchard is their in-house version of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, a diminutive player who didn’t fully show his talents until Luka Dončić was out of the picture.”
Of course, many will remember that Brunson played second fiddle to Dončić on the Dallas Mavericks, but was later traded to the New York Knicks, where he just led them on one of the most incredible post-season runs in league history, delivering the Knicks their first NBA Championship since 1973.
Brunson was the catalyst, averaging 28.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds during the Knicks' playoff run, winning the NBA Finals MVP in a runaway.
Now, the Celtics are hoping that Pritchard will be able to flourish in a similar fashion. While that may be a lofty goal, it does provide some reason for their trade and the confidence they have going forward.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Celtics eyeing major leap for Payton Pritchard post Jaylen Brown trade
Continue reading...
With the Boston Celtics, that appears to be part of the thinking when it comes to the blockbuster Jaylen Brown trade, especially when it comes to former Oregon Ducks star Payton Pritchard.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that Brown, a former NBA Finals MVP, was being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in return for Paul George, a pair of first-round picks, and a pair of second-round picks. While Brown is considered one of the best players in the league, many have felt that this was not a big enough return for Boston.
One of the factors that went into the move for the Celtics, though, is what it might bring out of Pritchard, who has been ascending into one of the most valuable players on the team over the last couple of years. Now, with more minutes ahead of him, it appears that Boston is expecting a major leap to take place.
According to NBA reporter Tom Haberstroh, the Celtics expect Pritchard to see a "Jalen Brunson-like" ascension now that Brown is out of the lineup.
"The Celtics trading [Jaylen] Brown is a bet that [Payton] Pritchard is their in-house version of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, a diminutive player who didn’t fully show his talents until Luka Dončić was out of the picture.”
Of course, many will remember that Brunson played second fiddle to Dončić on the Dallas Mavericks, but was later traded to the New York Knicks, where he just led them on one of the most incredible post-season runs in league history, delivering the Knicks their first NBA Championship since 1973.
Brunson was the catalyst, averaging 28.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds during the Knicks' playoff run, winning the NBA Finals MVP in a runaway.
Now, the Celtics are hoping that Pritchard will be able to flourish in a similar fashion. While that may be a lofty goal, it does provide some reason for their trade and the confidence they have going forward.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Celtics eyeing major leap for Payton Pritchard post Jaylen Brown trade
Continue reading...
