Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is extensively seen because the early frontrunner for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the 12 months race, however clearly, not everybody has been tuned in.
Former NBA All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas, in truth, doesn’t appear locked into Celtics basketball in any respect, evident within the 42-year-old podcaster’s egregious take. Arenas challenged Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla for enjoying Pritchard, an elite 3-point shooter, and Drew Peterson, on the identical time throughout Monday evening’s Celtics win over the Miami Warmth.
“There’s no manner in (expletive) hell you could have 11 and 13 in the identical sport,” Arenas stated watching highlights of the sport. “There’s no manner you may have these two guys. Have a look at 13, look how he stroll. Oh, he stroll like, ‘Rating please on me so I can sit. My daddy gave me tickets. My daddy gave me tickets to the sport and so they simply let me in.’ There’s no manner.”
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Arenas ought to’ve stopped himself whereas he was forward as a substitute of cosplaying as Skip Bayless. Pritchard completed the evening with 25 factors, capturing 10-of-17 from the sector, pulling down 5 threes and outscoring Miami’s bench (21 factors) totally. To the informal, condensed game-watching sofa potato, that is an appropriate show of ignorance however for an ex-NBA veteran, that is disingenuous idiocy.
Pritchard, earlier than getting set for Wednesday evening’s matchup in opposition to the Detroit Pistons at TD Backyard, provided a response to Arenas.
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“Why can’t 11 and 13 be within the sport?” Pritchard replied on his Instagram story. “Simply curious.”
Pritchard has put the league on discover this season, averaging a career-high 16.4 factors, 3.1 rebounds and a pair of.9 assists whereas main the Celtics in 3-point share (43.1%). The 26-year-old ranks fifth in complete threes made (78), forward of future Corridor of Famers James Harden (67), Stephen Curry (67), Damian Lillard (58) and Deven Booker (54). If that doesn’t clarify why Pritchard’s on the ground, no matter who’s alongside, then Arenas ought to most likely set down the podcasting microphone.
The Celtics have even admitted to devoting a whole follow drill to defending Pritchard at full courtroom, which Jrue Vacation described as “loopy.” So whereas it’s simple for Arenas to lazily discuss down on Pritchard, groups and coaches throughout the league and converse to the undersized guard’s offensive wrath unleashed every evening.
