Payton Pritchard Calls on NBA to Make 2 Rule Changes

Payton Pritchard’s long shots at the whistle have now become a tradition, knowing how many goals he has scored for the Celtics. Pritchard’s rare talent showed itself once again in their stunning win over the Wizards, but it was too late to count.

Not counting shots had no impact on the final outcome of the game, but it was an incredible display. Know that if he had attempted a field goal before the buzzer rang, it would have been counted among his own missed field goal attempts.

The G-League considers starts like Pritchard’s to be a missed shot attempt by the team rather than the player. Pritchard explained to reporters after the game why he believes the NBA should do the same.

“They should implement this in the NBA because…it’s not a normal three-point shot that some players can use because it could hurt their percentage,” Pritchard said. “I’m not worried about the percentage because that can change the whole momentum of the game. It’s not a bad rule, to be honest.”

Pritchard also suggested the NBA make another change regarding shooting from half-court or distance.

“Honestly, I think they should consider adding it as a four-point play in the final half,” Pritchard said. “It might be interesting. I’ve seen the rules overseas, there’s a four-point line. I don’t think we’ll necessarily do that, but make the half-court line, if it’s behind half-court, a four-point game.”

Even though it wasn’t his last move, Pritchard’s distance from the Celtics was at a dead end against the Wizards. He scored 15 points on the night by making a total of five three-pointers.