Payton Pritchard Opens Up on the Celtics Mindset Heading Into Next Season

The Boston Celtics were dominant as they won the 2024 NBA Championship, but since then things have seemingly gone very wrong for them. They ended the 2025 playoffs in defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks, with superstar Jayson Tatum going down with an injury that will not see him return until the 2026/27 campaign.

As a result, the team decided to get some value out of key players, shipping out Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis while losing Al Horford in free agency as they look to retool before Tatum's return. This has led to many ruling the team out ahead of the 2025/26 regular season, but with the likes of Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown still there, they may still be competitive.

That is the goal of the talented young Pritchard, who is likely to take on a starting role this season, with the reigning Sixth Man of the Year addressing the teams mindset ahead of the new season.

“There’s only one mindset, always… people can say gap year and all that, but as a competitor, that should never be it, and that’s not the mindset of the city of Boston, either.”

Unsurprisingly, he and the players that remain are all optimistic about the teams changes, with the goal as always being an NBA Championship.

With other injuries changing the landscape in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are confident they can compete, and while they may not be genuine title contenders, this remains a team that nobody can take lightly.