Celtics Shake Up Lineup: Pritchard to Start, Simons Benched in Surprising Move—What It Means for the Season

The Celtics believe Pritchard has earned the starting job through years of steady development. His familiarity with the system and readiness to handle expanded responsibilities have made him the preferred option to open games at point guard.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, although Pritchard is going to have to solidify this in training camp (Simons may fit better with the other starters, such as Jaylen Brown). Pritchard averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc last season, but in the three games he started those numbers jumped up to 21.7 points and 7.3 assists per game.

Could Simons make it back-to-back Sixth Men of the Year in Boston? It’s something to watch in what could be a crowded field this year.With Jrue Holiday traded away to Portland, a starting guard spot opens up in Boston next to Derrick White.Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard is going to be handed that starting spot, which means Anfernee Simons would come off the bench as the sixth man, reports Grant Afseth at FastbreakJournal.com.LEARN MOREThe Celtics’ backcourt just got a major shakeup, and boy, does it open up some intriguing possibilities. With Jrue Holiday now headed to Portland, Boston finds itself with a newly available starting guard spot alongside Derrick White. Naturally, the spotlight shifts to Payton Pritchard, last season’s Sixth Man of the Year, who’s poised to step into that starting role. This change means Anfernee Simons, who put up solid numbers in Portland, will likely slide into the sixth-man role—a spot that suits his scoring prowess perfectly. It’s a fascinating bit of chess on the hardwood—one that could redefine the Celtics’ rotation and has all kinds of ripple effects for the upcoming season. Honestly, I’m eager to see how Pritchard consolidates his new starting role during training camp and whether Simons can repeat his Sixth Man magic on a fresh stage. The stakes are high, especially for Simons, who’s playing a contract year and needs to make every minute count. Intriguing times ahead for Boston’s guard rotation, no doubt.Simons should thrive in a sixth-man role where he is asked to come in and just get buckets. He averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists a game last season in Portland, shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc. This is a contract year for Simons (he’s on an expiring contract at .7 million), and he’ll be looking to put up numbers and raise his value for that next contract.