Payton Pritchard says Celtics have something to prove after playoff collapse

The Celtics have changed. Payton Pritchard’s expectations apparently have not.

Boston is coming off a strong regular season that ended with a painful playoff collapse, blowing a 3-1 series lead and heading home much earlier than expected.

Pritchard indicated that one still stings.

“I feel like we have another year that we have to prove it,” Pritchard told Chris Forsberg on the Celtics Talk Podcast. “I thought regular season we did a great job last year. … But obviously in the playoffs, we didn’t have the playoff run we wanted, let a 3-1 lead slip, which [ate] away at a lot of us this summer.”

Consider that motivation stored away for October. The Celtics will also look considerably different after trading Jaylen Brown, who had been Pritchard’s teammate throughout his NBA career.

Pritchard acknowledged that Brown’s departure was difficult personally, describing their relationship as a “brotherhood” and crediting Brown with taking him under his wing.

“He’ll be missed mightily,” Pritchard said. “But at the same time, you have to turn the page and get ready for this next year and have a great year and go to war.”

Pritchard suddenly qualifies as one of Boston’s old hands.

At 28, he is now the second-longest-tenured Celtic behind Jayson Tatum. He also is eligible for a contract extension, though he doesn’t sound particularly interested in making that an immediate issue.

“There’s no rush on it,” Pritchard said, noting that he still has two years remaining on his contract.

That can wait. For Pritchard and the Celtics, there’s apparently some unfinished business to handle first.