ForwardRewarding his team for the given opportunity, Prigioni has thrived with extended minutes. In the Knicks' last two commanding wins, the Argentine rookie has averaged 9.5 points and 6 assists off the bench.
But it's not all about the stats. With Raymond Felton looking to assert himself more as a scorer, it's been Prigioni who has been the true floor general visionary on the court. He may not be able to run and gun towards the basket on his own, but the 35 year old knows exactly where his teammates are without having to take a second look.
A rookie in the NBA, but a veteran basketball presence in reality, Prigioni has terrific instincts. Whereas efficient scorers sometimes like to catch and shoot, the guard likes to catch and pass, furthering the team's ball movement efficiently. What's more, he chases down his defender (and not to mention, loose balls) to come up with a steal. Needless to say, Prigioni loves sparking fast breaks and helping his teammates finish on offense after coming up with a key stop on defense.
Prigioni may not be Jeremy Lin. He won't be getting voted into any All-Star games, and he probably won't be a late addition to any festivities either. But what he provides the Knicks with can still have the same effect. After struggling a bit to start the season, the boost in Novak's game with the Argentine on the court has been evident. With a savvy playmaker now making moves and running the show, the pressure is also off sixth man J.R. Smith to handle the ball.
"Linsanity" was big, bold, and explosive. Pablo Prigioni certainly doesn't represent those types of things. Instead, "Prigsanity" has been delivered to The World's Most Famous Arena in a small little package that still packs quite the punch of energy.
If the Knicks want to continue receiving such an injection of life on a nightly basis, it'll be important to keep Prigioni in the lineup for the long haul.
- Keith Schlosser
12/1/2012 12:38 PM LAST EDITED: 12/1/2012 12:39 PM