51 Comments
User's avatar
Randy Green's avatar

Great to see PP succeed in very demanding and ruthless NBA.

His Celtics coach said “you don’t have to tell PP where to go or what to do. Just put him in the game and he lets the game come to him and instinctively knows what to do. He just plays!”

Expand full comment
TJA's avatar

PP is one of my all-time favorite Oregon basketball players. Leadership, ball handling and dagger-like threes...he had it all in college and continues to impress in the NBA.

Expand full comment
Charles A Roseberry's avatar

And a really good kid.

Expand full comment
Steve Setera's avatar

He’s not the first top class player that Portland has missed. Michael Jordan also on the list.

Expand full comment
509 Guy's avatar

Who can forget “Honk once for Oden, twice for Durant”?

Expand full comment
Orange Sunshine's avatar

Beep Beep

Expand full comment
Jim Burns's avatar

Gotta start with Bob McAdoo!

Expand full comment
Steve Setera's avatar

The list is long!

Expand full comment
Ben Johnson's avatar

Yeah it's rather sickening to learn of all the HALL of FAME players the Blazers had the opportunity to pick. Red Hot and Rolling days were great, but they were also over before it had time to really mature.

Expand full comment
Dick Allen's avatar

And Kevin Durant. 😟

Expand full comment
Clyde Carrick's avatar

I think P2 had something to prove to his hometown team. His work ethic is phenomenal. I plan on sharing this article with my middle school team to show how hard work pays off.

Expand full comment
Jim Roakd's avatar

Altman just wins! He simply knows talent and knows how to develop talent. As a Beaver,

I admire Oregon’s ability to get great coaches. After a few misses, Dan Lanning is an incredible hire. Dana Altman has been from day 1. Baseball coach has accomplished a lot in relatively short

Period of time. But then Oregon has a lot to offer to any prospective. They did miss the boat with Mark Campbell , who has become most coveted coach in women’s basketball

Expand full comment
ESecPN's avatar

He wins so much! Count off all his titles at Oregon.

Expand full comment
Michael Bishop's avatar

He’s the Rich Brooks of the basketball program

Expand full comment
Charles A Roseberry's avatar

Pritchard is my hero, and most admired hooper. He was a rock at Oregon and certainly found his well deserved spot with the Celtics. We are so pleased with his success and recognition.

On another note, for all of the posse interested in the subject of MLB for PDX, I would call your attention to an ESPN article running today, "Two major league teams, two minor league ballparks; what it says about the sport", written with Conzano finesse by Jeff Passan. For you optimistic enthusiastic supporters of the idea, it points out the hazards of "be careful what you wish for". Just sayin', Charlie

Expand full comment
Timothy Moran's avatar

Nice read John. Great Oregon player, I bet he ends up back here coaching HS ball. Seems to be in his DNA. Love to see you follow up on a host of retired greats from the state. What's Terrell Brandon doing now? I watched him at Grant and knew he had "it".

Expand full comment
Mike's avatar

Terrell Brandon had a barber shop in Portland until it closed a year or so ago. I believe he's still living in the area, though.

Expand full comment
ESecPN's avatar

Rest in Peace, NBA. What a sad, sad, sad product it has become.

Expand full comment
Dwight Lilly's avatar

Agree. My tears dried up a long time ago. College football is next if the idiots aren't sent to the dunce corner.

Expand full comment
AZJT's avatar

Although not particularly an Oregon fan; I loved watching Payton play during the PAC12 tournaments. True talent.

Expand full comment
Rick Roseta's avatar

Thanks John. PP is one of the great college team players I have ever seen. Hard work rubs off on others.

Expand full comment
David Gulickson's avatar

Pritchard Is all that is good with the modern NBA, not to mention a really good kid you can root for with a clear conscience

(and there’s not a whole them out there these days…)

Expand full comment
Ben Johnson's avatar

Amen to that!

Expand full comment
Al's avatar

I watch Celtics basketball only because of #11 Payton Prichard. He would start on a lot of other NBA teams. Starting seems not to be a "goal" of Payton's. But winning is. He's likely to earn a starting slot because he's steadily becoming more solid. It might prove however that he represents more wins coming off the bench. A lot of coaches would wish for that talent level off the bench. He should be paid as a starter regardless.

Expand full comment
Todd H.'s avatar

My buddy is a huge Celtics fan and probably the biggest Pritchard fan. We both agree that Payton should work with helping Jackson Shelstad get even better for the Ducks. Shelstad’s sophomore has been up and down, but Pritchard was beyond clutch, as his game grew and grew at Oregon. It’s time for Shelstad to take the next step, like his fellow West Linn alum did in Eugene.

Expand full comment
Brad Weekly's avatar

Pritch is a great reminder of what hard work and relentless pursuit to improve can do. You know, he rode the pine in Boston for a long time, only getting spot playing time, but its clear he did not pout or let it tarnish his approach. I am hella proud he came from Oregon, chose to attend UO and is now proving to be one of the best players on one of the Association's best teams. Not a bad role model and mentor for Jackson Shelstad -who might be just as good in time.

Expand full comment
Sue Beck's avatar

I won't watch the Trailblazers until they are sold. I try to watch the Celtics when they play because of Payton. Missed the game last night because I was out of town.

Expand full comment
Sue Beck's avatar

Oh, and I love the Ducks. Proud alum. Sabrina and Payton-- both champions!

Expand full comment
Gary Cavalli's avatar

Great piece on Pritchard. He's a winner, and he's landed in the perfect place. Hard to imagine that the Celtics can have two players--Pritchard and Derrick White--score over 40 points in the same game for the first time, when they're far from the best two players on the team (Tatum, Brown). There's a good chance Pritchard will pick up his second championship ring in June.

Expand full comment