Boston rookies Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard introduced as Celtics

The two rookies are now officially Celtics, having inked their rookie deals as well.

The world met the two newest Boston Celtics Tuesday afternoon as rookies Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard were introduced to the press as Celtics just a few short hours before the team announced their official signings.

The forward from Vanderbilt and the point guard out of Oregon fielded questions about how things have gone for them since arriving in town just a few short days ago — and what they expect moving forward given the short turnaround to the regular season.

“It’s been fun so far, being able to come in and learn from the greats, some of whom have been doing this for a very long time. It’s been a lot of fun to be able to come in and get better every day,” said Nesmith.

“It’s definitely been an exciting time,” added Pritchard.

“I’ve been starting workouts and getting going. I’ve been trying to be a sponge and soak everything up and get ready for the season. It starts really quickly, so I’m trying to learn fast and get going.”

Questions ranged from the recovery of Nesmith’s broken foot (“It’s 100% and I won’t miss a beat”) to how well they knew their new teammates (Pritchard’s played Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in college, and he and “Carson [Edwards] and Romeo [Langford] all played on U-19 Team USA together,” too).

They were also very earnest when asked how they felt about stepping into the space left by veteran forward Gordon Hayward after his exit to the Charlotte Hornets this week.

“We never played in the NBA before,” observed Nesmith, “but we’ll continue to do what is asked of us, continue to compete, continue to work hard and go out there and give our best effort.

“All we’re worried about is getting ready for training camp, competing, and trying to help the team win,” agreed Pritchard.

The Oregon product was also sure to note that teammate Grant Williams had greatly exaggerated his wins over himself and Nesmith in the much-publicized account of the Celtic forward’s victories in “Settlers of Catan”.

These guys already fit like a glove.

 

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