How Payton Pritchard became Boston’s unlikely iso king

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has established himself as one of the NBA's most efficient isolation scorers through an intense, countercultural training regimen. Despite being an undersized bench player, Pritchard led the league in effective field goal percentage on isolation plays during the 2025-26 season, delivering standout postseason performances that earned praise from NBA icon Allen Iverson.

Pritchard's development relies heavily on demanding offseason one-on-one sessions against collegiate and international players in unairconditioned gyms. Supported by trainers Michael Soares and Rocky DeAndrade, Pritchard focuses on repetition and body leverage, enabling him to thrive near the rim and maintain elite shot-clock efficiency for head coach Joe Mazzulla's squad.