Doubt has followed the Boston Celtics all season, and Payton Pritchard knows it. When Jayson Tatum went down and the roster shifted, much of the outside noise wrote Boston off. Jaylen Brown pushed back publicly, asking critics to keep that same energy. Now, Pritchard has stepped forward to explain how the locker room truly views its position in the Eastern Conference race.
Despite losing their star centerpiece, the Boston Celtics continue to hang near the top of the standings. The New York Knicks may hold the NBA Cup, but Boston refuses to see itself as a feel good surprise. Advanced metrics back that confidence, with the Celtics leading the East in net rating entering the new year, per SI.
The perception around the league suggests Boston should settle for overachievement talk. Pritchard made it clear that mindset does not exist internally.
“We’re not sitting here like, ‘Oh, we’re third, let’s celebrate,’” Pritchard said on NBA on Prime. “We’re used to being first and winning championships. We’re trying to be the No. 1 seed and work our way back into that championship conversation.”
Payton Pritchard on the Celtics proving everybody wrong 🥶
“I don't think we're sitting here like ‘oh we're 3rd lets celebrate'. We're used to being 1st and winning championships. We trying to be the number 1 seed and work our way to being in that championship conversation… pic.twitter.com/jJ0UEntMmS
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 3, 2026
Boston’s Confidence Comes From Habits, Not Hype
That belief stems from how the Celtics have stayed competitive without ideal shooting luck. Derrick White, Pritchard, and Anfernee Simons all sit below their career three point averages, yet Boston keeps winning. According to Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, that reality gives the Celtics even more upside once regression hits.
Brown has carried the offense with a superstar level workload, averaging nearly 30 points per game while creating for others. The Celtics also understand what could come next. The eventual return of Jayson Tatum changes spacing, rebounding, and late game pressure instantly. Shooters get cleaner looks. Brown sees fewer double teams. The margin for error widens.
Pritchard’s message reflects a group that refuses to lower its standards. Boston does not view this season as survival mode. The Celtics see unfinished business, and they plan to chase it the same way they always have, with expectations set at the top.
