Payton Pritchard perfectly symbolizes why the Celtics are so dominant

Many are already under the impression that the Eastern Conference Finals will be between the defending champion Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the Cavs having a better record, Boston's track record, and play style will give them an interesting edge.

In fact, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard represents aspects of the team's approach that have made them a contemporary juggernaut. His patience, shooting ability, and willingness to adapt to whatever the team needs from him are all attributes that are common throughout the roster.

The 27-year-old is currently enjoying a regular season campaign that could end with him winning Sixth Man of the Year. The Oregon product is averaging 14.2 points while shooting roughly 47% from the field and around 41% from distance. He also recently made history by becoming just the fourth player in franchise history to score 1,000 points off the bench in a season.

Why Payton Pritchard symbolizes the most terrifying attributes of the current Celtics

Despite becoming an integral part of Boston's bench, Pritchard's place on the roster was not always seen as a sure thing. He went through a period where he was not getting playing time earlier in his career, and even went so far as to ask for a trade.

“Payton wasn't playing a couple of years ago and that was hard,” said Celtics general manager Brad Stevens. “Part of the reason that that was hard was, he did play a lot his first year, didn't play as much his second at the start, and then at the end of the second played more. And so you have that as your foundation. Sometimes when you have that as your foundation, it's a lot more difficult to then go backwards."

Once Boston could not make a worthwhile trade ahead of the 2023 deadline, Pritchard was essentially forced to remain patient. It paid off when the Celtics made a series of moves prior to last season, and paved the way for the guard to sign a contract extension and receive more minutes.

Pritchard's patience has leaked on to the court, and his teammates boast a similar skill. It is rare that Pritchard or the Celtics look like they're forcing things on the hardwood. Even when they are trailing, Boston stays true to their blueprint and waits for their time to strike.

Along with patience, Pritchard has also shown that he is willing to do whatever a given year or individual game calls for. There have been times where his role has been either limited or expanded, but he has consistently been ready for his number to be called.

"Payton's resilient and Payton's very driven. Payton, one of the things that everybody talks about is hard work, and he's a very hard worker," said teammate Al Horford. "But his mindset, he's very competitive. He's very resilient. And it's just been pretty impressive to see the big leap that he has taken this year. And he's obviously more confident."

"But just his will, it's something that is contagious and inspiring."

Others like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White are similarly unselfish. This quality will serve the C's well against teams like the Cavs, who have just as much talent. Often, the difference between winning and losing a playoff series comes down to how well a team can stick together and not allow individual agendas to get in the way of the ultimate goal.

Pritchard may not be most people's first thought when considering the Celtics' roster. But he may be the player who best embodies why head coach Joe Mazzulla's squad is so prolific.