It’s undeniable that Payton Pritchard has been cooking with something a little stronger than canola oil. His minutes and efficiency are both up, his scoring is way up, and the vibes are so up they’re blowing a hole through the ceiling and achieving escape velocity. Is all of this real, and if it is, what should we do with it?
Saturday night’s clash with the Charlotte Hornets gave us some more data to work with. He dropped 22 points in 29 minutes, got hot in the first half and cooled off in the second. It’s his fifth 15+ point performance of the season, and by lots of counting stats, he should be the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year.