Pablo Prigioni
By Ian Pierno (@IanPierno)
As a lifelong fan of the New York Knicks, finding out that Pablo Prigioni was leaving the team via a trade to the Houston Rockets was one of the saddest days of my fandom. During his first year with the Knicks, Prigioni lacked what most rookies had to their advantage: athleticism. Making his NBA debut as a 35-year-old from Argentina, Prigioni made up for everything he lacked in speed, size and talent in heart, intelligence and drive. He never averaged over 20 minutes per game with New York (though, he did start in 48 games), but his pest-like annoyance and nose for the ball provided a spark to whoever else was with him on the court.
No inbounds pass was ever safe with Prigioni on the floor. No walk up to the offensive end was a leisurely stroll when Prigioni was marking you. The way this one role player could swing the momentum of a game is like no other I’ve seen. Harassing his opponents to dislodge the ball, Prigioni’s vision with the ball allowed him to quickly dish passes with only one touch to finish off the play.
Sure, there were times Prigioni was crossed up, times he was blown past by younger, quicker and more agile players, but his feet were never flat on the ground. If there was ever a player who defined ‘Grit ‘n’ Grind’ basketball, it was this guy.
Numbers can’t define what Prigioni brings to the court, but his career steals per 36 minutes of 2.1 is barely lower than Tony Allen’s, one of the top pure defenders of this generation of basketball, mark of 2.3.
Prigioni is suiting back up with Houston after a stint in Los Angeles, and despite closing in on his 40th birthday, the man has still got it.
Next: Luol Deng