Knicks
[h1]NY Knicks newest acquisition isn't Jeremy Lin, but Argentina's Pablo Prigioni can put on a show[/h1][h2]Veteran of international competition is now 35, but adds depth to Knicks point guard spot after Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton.[/h2]
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FRANK ISOLA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS[/h3][h5]SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012, 1:59 AM[/h5]
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[h4]MAXI FAILLA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES[/h4][h4] [/h4]
Pablo Prigioni says Jeremy Lin is more of a scorer and that his game is more about distributing.
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LONDON — Pablo Prigioni is not aware of the uproar
Jeremy Lin’s stunning departure created in New York, but James Dolan’s newest point guard did try to lend a sane voice to Linsanity by assuring Knicks fans that they are in good hands.
“At that position we have everything,” Prigioni said on Saturday. “Raymond (Felton) can score, Jason (Kidd) and me can run the team. I think we have many options at that position and I think fans will be happy and enjoy our game.”
The Knicks signed the 35-year-old Argentine point guard last week after pursing him for three seasons. It was the final stage of a complete facelift for the team’s point guard position. Toney Douglas, Baron Davis, Mike Bibby and Lin are all gone and the feeling is that the Knicks have upgraded by adding Kidd, Felton and Prigioni.
A lot depends on Felton’s conditioning and whether Kidd, who turns 40 in March, can stay healthy. The x-factor, like Lin last season, could be Prigioni, who has been one of Europe’s top point guards for years.
His Olympic teammates and fellow NBA players, Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola, rave about Prigioni. Toronto’s Jose Calderon, who once played with Prigioni in Spain, calls him the consummate point guard. He even has a strong endorsement from Carmelo Anthony, which can only help.
But for fans looking for Prigioni to be the next Lin, forget it. They are two different players, which may be a good thing for the Knicks.
“Jeremy is more of a scorer,” Prigioni said. “He likes to shoot more. I saw him about 10 games from last year. I saw him all the time looking to score. Many point guards in the NBA (do the same) because they have talent of course.
“I’m not this kind of player. I like to pass the ball and find the open (shooters); play smart. If someone is open, give the ball to him.”
The theory last season was that Lin and Anthony could not co-exist because both need the ball to be successful. Lin is more of a probing type of point guard in the mold of Steve Nash. He’s looking to keep his dribble until he can find an opening.
The problem, however, is that Anthony prefers to play with the ball and have isolations run for him. Whether Melo’s way can win is debatable. But there’s little doubt that Prigioni complements Anthony’s game.
“The way I play is great to have wonder players like them (around me),” he said. “I like to play for my teammates, give the ball in the right moments and try to exploit their talents. That’s how I think as a point guard.
“I’m not looking to score 30 points. Some days you need me to score more, I score. I understand basketball is a team sport. I want to play for my teammates, penetrate, dish and get assists. The way I play it is great to have great scorers around me like I have on the national team.”
Prigioni turned down offers from the Knicks for three years because he was making more money in Europe and didn’t feel the timing was right. Ginobili and Scola, however, advised him to seriously consider a move this year to the world’s top professional league because as Ginobili told him, “You could be 45, retired and you may think ‘what if?’ That stinks. I think it’s something where if you have the opportunity you have to try it.”
Prigioni was willing to commit to one year for the Knicks, who had offered him a two-year deal. His Spanish wife and two small children will join him in New York and he wants to make sure that his family is comfortable. He also knows that if Felton and Kidd play up to standards, his playing time could be limited.
“He’s a great point guard but in the NBA it depends on the opportunity and the system,” Ginobili said. “It doesn’t always depend on you, especially when you’re a rookie.”
Lin was a similar low-risk investment for the Knicks and parlayed his opportunity into a $25 million contract with the Houston Rockets. Prigioni is at a different stage in his career and understands that he’ll have to earn his minutes coming in behind two experienced point guards, including a future Hall of Famer.
But Prigioni, who is from Cordoba, is comfortable with the Knicks organization and coaching staff after visiting New York in June. Mike Woodson is expected to attend one of his games at the Olympics.
Prigioni is excited about moving to New York and experiencing Madison Square Garden for the first time. Who knows, in a few more months Pablo-sanity may be all the rage.
“I feel something inside my body to push me to accept (the Knicks) offer,” Prigioni said. “I want to go there to try to play in the best league in the world against the great wonderful players. I’m pretty sure that now I want to go.”
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SN retired after 3 posts. Dude couldnt even troll right
