Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard believes a faster style of offence suits the 2024 NBA champions after Jayson Tatum’s injury.

Tatum suffered an Achilles injury during the Celtics’ playoff semi-final against the New York Knicks in May, ruling him out for the opening months of the upcoming season.

There have also been plenty of changes to the Celtics’ roster during the off-season, with Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Luke Kornet all leaving the TD Garden.

Anfernee Simons and Chris Boucher will wear green jerseys for the 2025-26 campaign, and Pritchard claimed their new-look team will benefit from a change in tactics.

When asked why the faster style in play occurred now and not before, Pritchard said: “We were winning.

“If JT [Tatum] wants the ball at the top, JT’s a top 5 player so you might as well give him the ball & let him work.

Payton Pritchard, AGAIN.

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“We don’t have him at the beginning of this year, so we got to go to what benefits our team the most.

“It's different. When you got a guy like JT, KP [Porzingis], who you can throw it to on the elbow and score, you weren't going to change things up when you're winning a championship.

“I think the NBA sometimes can be a copycat league, but you got to go with what really works for your team.”

After their final pre-season game against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, the Celtics will begin their NBA season against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 22.