New York Knicks Need to Turn to Pablo Prigioni After Jose Calderon Injury
The New York Knicks attempted to solve a troublesome point-guard rotation by trading away popular center Tyson Chandler in what became new president Phil Jackson's first dramatic roster move.
Reaping the rewards of that deal will have to wait at least another couple of weeks, however.
Jose Calderon, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in the Chandler deal, missed New York's season opener against the Chicago Bulls and will miss another two or three weeks with a strained right calf, according to the team's PR account on Twitter.
Even as the Knicks attempt to learn a new triangle offense, they'll have to adjust to some temporary instability in the backcourt.
The best man to weather that storm is point guard Pablo Prigioni. Now in only his third NBA season, the 37-year-old started a combined 45 games in his first two campaigns with the Knicks, and he's easily New York's most battle-tested option behind Calderon. On the back end of a career that's spanned Argentina and Spain since 1995, Prigioni is more experienced than his NBA tenure might suggest.
More so, certainly, than Shane Larkin—who, like Calderon, was acquired in the Chandler deal.
Larkin started Wednesday night's game against Chicago, tallying six points and three assists in 26 minutes of action. He also got the nod to start New York's second game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While the 5'11" 22-year-old has some intriguing upside, he was used sparingly by the Mavericks during his rookie year, averaging just 10.2 minutes through 48 games in a campaign otherwise shortened by a broken ankle.
In the coming weeks, it's hard to see Larkin as the starting lineup's solution.
Though Prigioni only played 17 minutes Wednesday night, the limited playing time may have had something to do with a sore lower back. Going forward, head coach Derek Fisher should prioritize experience and the offensive composure that comes therewith.
Prigioni's floor vision and pass-first mentality could inject life into a transitioning offense that made just 36.5 percent of its field-goal attempts against the Bulls. The Knicks made just three of their 17 three-point field-goal attempts and were generally out of sync.
To be sure, the hiccups go far beyond on-court leadership. There may not be a point guard in the league who could make this evolution any smoother—or quicker.
As Fisher explained Wednesday night, Calderon's absence wasn't the reason New York looked out of sorts in its 2014-15 debut.
"We didn't feel like it was smart to have him play in this game and try to re-evaluate and reassess where he is," Fisher told reporters after the game and prior to the MRI that revealed Calderon's calf strain. "He'd been feeling good the last couple days and leading up to [the opener], we'd scrimmaged a little bit [Tuesday], the day before, he'd done quite a bit.
"And so that obviously changes things when you're starting point guard goes out an hour or so before the game. But that wasn't the reason why we didn't win. It's a team game, and we still have to figure out what we need to do as a team to put ourselves in position to win."
Fisher also conceded that "it's going to be difficult to get wins" while his Knicks learn a new system.
Even when Calderon returns—likely in November—it will take this club time to find its rhythm.
In the interim, you'd like to see New York at least maintain its poise and perhaps even build a little confidence. To that end, Prigioni can make a difference, especially when the alternative is, for all intents and purposes, still a rookie.
Prigioni's career numbers don't jump out at you. He's averaged just 3.7 points in 17.7 minutes per contest over the last two seasons. But he's demonstrated superior court vision over that span, tallying 3.5 assists per game last season and producing a 47.1 assist ratio that led the league, according to Hollinger Stats.
It's the kind of ball movement that should produce improved looks for his fellow Knicks, especially swingmen Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr., who were a combined 6-of-27 from the field against Chicago.
After scoring just 14 points in the season opener, star forward Carmelo Anthony could probably use a savvy playmaker on the floor, too.
For what it's worth, Prigioni has made 42.6 percent of his career three-point attempts. He may not be a prolific scorer, but he's a decently efficient one.
New York is also in need of leadership, particularly after a lackluster opening performance that included just 37 second-half points.
"[The Bulls] felt as though they smelled blood in the water," Smith told reporters after the game. "We just couldn't do anything about it. We put our heads down and tucked our tails, and we can't do that at home."
It remains to be seen whether Prigioni has the voice or capital to prevent those letdowns, but he's the kind of high-IQ veteran who stands a chance.
Former NBA player and current Knicks analyst Walter Szczerbiak (father of Wally) had high hopes for him back in 2012 when the Knicks expressed interest. Sczerbiak had also been America's Spanish League ambassador for 25 years, so he knew a thing or two about Prigioni.
"I'm pretty sure he'd be better than a lot of young point guards in the NBA you get," he told the New York Post's Marc Berman at the time. "He's really been through the wars. Spain is a real pressure cooker. Every game is playoff intensity. The NBA, it's more in the playoffs. He has great experience in tough situations, and he's a good leader."
With Fisher's Knicks in a tough situation, now seems like a good time to lean on a guy who's been around the block.
And one would think Fisher, whose playing career didn't end until last season when he was 39, would appreciate the value of a proven commodity.
There's still a role for Larkin, especially down the road.
As NBCSports.com's Dan Feldman put it in August, when New York was reportedly interested in trading the Argentinian, "Prigioni is better right now, but...Larkin has more long-term upside remaining."
Larkin also reasons to give the second unit a spark and change of pace.
"Fisher wants speed on the second unit, and the second-year Larkin...is regarded as one of the NBA's fastest players," Berman wrote in October. "Larkin was timed during the 2013 predraft combine running a 3.09 [a combine best] in the three-quarter court speed drill."
"That's my role on this team," Larkin told reporters after the team's preseason opener. "I saw a lot of the stuff [the Knicks] did last year. They told me last year we were one of the slowest teams, so to come here and push the tempo and get guys to run with me."
In other words, bringing Larkin off the bench may simply be a matter of fit.
While Prigioni focuses on producing quality looks for the starters, Larkin should cause a little havoc in the second unit and pursue some offense of his own. Starting the elder statesman may be a win-win scenario for the two players and, ultimately, the best possible scenario for the Knicks.
That may not be saying much at the moment, but it's far too soon to give up on Fisher's first season on the job. Setting the right tone early on could be the difference.
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