Mavericks must steal Celtics' secret to turn young guard into an offensive monster

Ever since the Boston Celtics bounced the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals, Mavericks fans have despised the Celtics. Dallas just didn't have the firepower to keep up with Boston, and the Mavs' poor shooting combined with a plethora of other factors led to them losing the series.

Payton Pritchard was among the players for Boston who won the Finals in 2024, and after he just had the best season of his career in 2024-25, the Mavericks should take some notes on how the Celtics have developed Pritchard with young guard Brandon Williams.

Williams just wrapped up the best season of his career in Dallas last season, as he averaged 8.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown. His end-of-season surge helped him earn a standard deal with the Mavericks right before the Play-In Tournament, and now he is poised for a pivotal season in Dallas that could make or break the rest of his young career.

Williams making a Pritchard-like leap would change everything for Dallas

Another step in Williams' development could mean that he earns a big contract next offseason, but little to no progress could lead to him being out of the league. The NBA is competitive as ever right now, and with Williams being an undersized guard, he needs to prove that he can be a rotational guard at worst to stick around.

This year is the most pivotal season of his career, and if the Mavericks play their cards right and Williams keeps improving, they could find themselves with a Pritchard-type player. Pritchard has become a staple within the Celtics' rotation with his deadly 3-point shooting from anywhere on the floor, playmaking, and ability to get hot, and Williams shares many of the same strengths.

While Williams isn't the same playmaker that Pritchard is just yet, his motor, shooting, and ball handling reflect that of the Celtics' spark plug, and he could be due for the same type of leap that Pritchard had after his third season in the league.

In his fourth NBA season, Pritchard averaged 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from downtown, proving that he was a reliable guard off the bench who could light up the scoreboard when needed. In the season prior, Pritchard was only playing 13.4 minutes per game, and he wasn't trusted as someone who could play a major role every night.

Pritchard was able to take this leap in his fourth season thanks to Joe Mazzulla trusting him, and making him an every-night player rather than a situational guard. This helped Pritchard gain confidence, and Mazzulla giving him the green light as a shooter while surrounding him with their star players allowed him to turn into the player that he is today.

Mazzulla leaned into his strengths, and his belief in Pritchard, even in big moments, turned him into the elite bench guard who just won Sixth Man of the Year.

Williams is now in a similar spot as he enters his fourth NBA season, and a leap similar to that of Pritchard in his fourth season would work wonders for the Mavericks. With Kyrie Irving set to miss a large chunk of next season with a torn ACL, Williams has a great opportunity to solidify himself as the main backup point guard until he returns.

These increased minutes could lead to him becoming an indispensable piece in Jason Kidd's rotation, and he would go from a fan favorite to an established bench guard whom they can always rely upon when they need some offense. Pritchard was always a fan favorite in Boston, even when he wasn't playing much, and Williams is in a similar boat after his performance at the end of the season.

He ultimately became one of the only players on the roster who could create their own shot, and his ability to break down the defense with his smooth handle and finish at the rim helped him draw some comparisons to Irving down the final stretch of last season.

All eyes will be on Williams as he enters his fourth season in the NBA, and the beginning of the season could be crucial in him laying the foundation to have a big year. Williams must have a solid start to the year where he is one of the first players off the bench, and that could then lead to him remaining in the rotation even once Irving returns.

A season similar to that of Pritchard would turn Williams into someone the Mavericks can't live without, and his offensive creation would give Dallas the backup guard behind Irving and D'Angelo Russell backup that they've been missing.