Safer maybe, but does that safety really matter? Wanamaker really has no upside at all and we already know he's someone we don't really want on the court during the playoffs. So what purpose does he really have? Unless Payton completely spits the bit, any drop off from him to Wanamaker should be immaterial. Plus, there's a chance Payton is actually better. Being a 4 year player in college, I wouldn't be that shocked if he can contribute right out of the gate too.Given how little BW signed for with GS, I think he would have been a bit of a safer bet to fill the 3rd PG slot. We already know that BW can play defense and hit catch and shoot 3s. But, Pritchard certainly has more upside - since we know at age 31 or whatever, BW is what he is. If it were me, I would have kept BW and take a swing at someone else with this pick. Time will tell.
I didn't like the pick either but had no one else in mind so I'll trust Ainge on this one. I don't think Pritchard has much upside either but there's some things to like.