Gabe Pruitt - In The Mix?

[Bahku]

I personally love this kid, and can't wait to see him get more court-time with the C's ... I truly think he's another huge talent-in-disguise, and with the experienced players on this team and the "team concept" priorities, I think he's in the perfect place to get the grooming and guidance that he's lacking. Really like this guy's skills, and I hope to see him get some minutes sooner than later.

[Atzar]

I don't understand Pruitt.  Everything I've read and heard - and I've looked around quite a bit - praises his game a lot.  He's a long, quick athlete with good enough handle to be a point guard.  He's got an absolutely gorgeous jumpshot, and he's quick enough to create his own shot.  He's tenacious on defense.  He's not a big assist guy, but neither are Chauncey, Tony Parker, etc., and we've seen what they've done over their careers so far.

So why wasn't he a superstar in college?  This description makes him out to be a super-prospect, a diamond in the rough.  Why hasn't it ever really materialized?  He showed well in summer league and D ball, but that doesn't mean much. 

There must be something missing, something that everybody's leaving out.  I've never heard about any character questions, so I doubt that it's a lack of effort or drive.  Maybe he's something like Tony Allen - has the physical tools to be special, but the mental tools just don't appear to cut it.  This is pure speculation, but there has to be some reason for his lack of significant impact.

 

 

[bucknersrevenge]

I don't understand Pruitt.  Everything I've read and heard - and I've looked around quite a bit - praises his game a lot.  He's a long, quick athlete with good enough handle to be a point guard.  He's got an absolutely gorgeous jumpshot, and he's quick enough to create his own shot.  He's tenacious on defense.  He's not a big assist guy, but neither are Chauncey, Tony Parker, etc., and we've seen what they've done over their careers so far.

So why wasn't he a superstar in college?  This description makes him out to be a super-prospect, a diamond in the rough.  Why hasn't it ever really materialized?  He showed well in summer league and D ball, but that doesn't mean much. 

There must be something missing, something that everybody's leaving out.  I've never heard about any character questions, so I doubt that it's a lack of effort or drive.  Maybe he's something like Tony Allen - has the physical tools to be special, but the mental tools just don't appear to cut it.  This is pure speculation, but there has to be some reason for his lack of significant impact.

 

 

there's no chance it could be that doc and danny simply didnt want to(nor felt the need to) rush the kid?? doc was already trying to develop one young pg already. we had house and tony also in the backcourt. he just wasnt gonna get a lot of game time. but from all accounts he did practice with the team a lot and learned behind the scenes. he went to the dleague and played well. what im not understanding from people is how they get from no pt on a championship team=not a good player, or no chance to become one. seriously comparing him to orien greene who played in a completely different team with a different context.

best case for the kid i think is monta ellis and contrary to what one poster said here he absolutely does have the physical skills to be a productive player here. whether hell put it all together is what remains to be seen.

[Atzar]

I don't understand Pruitt.  Everything I've read and heard - and I've looked around quite a bit - praises his game a lot.  He's a long, quick athlete with good enough handle to be a point guard.  He's got an absolutely gorgeous jumpshot, and he's quick enough to create his own shot.  He's tenacious on defense.  He's not a big assist guy, but neither are Chauncey, Tony Parker, etc., and we've seen what they've done over their careers so far.

So why wasn't he a superstar in college?  This description makes him out to be a super-prospect, a diamond in the rough.  Why hasn't it ever really materialized?  He showed well in summer league and D ball, but that doesn't mean much. 

There must be something missing, something that everybody's leaving out.  I've never heard about any character questions, so I doubt that it's a lack of effort or drive.  Maybe he's something like Tony Allen - has the physical tools to be special, but the mental tools just don't appear to cut it.  This is pure speculation, but there has to be some reason for his lack of significant impact.

 

 

there's no chance it could be that doc and danny simply didnt want to(nor felt the need to) rush the kid?? doc was already trying to develop one young pg already. we had house and tony also in the backcourt. he just wasnt gonna get a lot of game time. but from all accounts he did practice with the team a lot and learned behind the scenes. he went to the dleague and played well. what im not understanding from people is how they get from no pt on a championship team=not a good player, or no chance to become one. seriously comparing him to orien greene who played in a completely different team with a different context.

best case for the kid i think is monta ellis and contrary to what one poster said here he absolutely does have the physical skills to be a productive player here. whether hell put it all together is what remains to be seen.

I'm not talking about Doc or Danny at all.  I'm talking about before that.  In college at USC, he had mediocre stats.  Why?  He had the tools back then, too... and this was pre-Mayo, so it wasn't just because somebody else was stealing the show.  He never distinguished himself.

I'm not questioning his talent, or what he could be.  I'm questioning why he isn't already, since everything I've read has been positive.  It seems like there's just something missing. 

[cordobes]

I don't understand Pruitt.  Everything I've read and heard - and I've looked around quite a bit - praises his game a lot.  He's a long, quick athlete with good enough handle to be a point guard.  He's got an absolutely gorgeous jumpshot, and he's quick enough to create his own shot.  He's tenacious on defense.  He's not a big assist guy, but neither are Chauncey, Tony Parker, etc., and we've seen what they've done over their careers so far.

So why wasn't he a superstar in college?  This description makes him out to be a super-prospect, a diamond in the rough.  Why hasn't it ever really materialized?  He showed well in summer league and D ball, but that doesn't mean much. 

There must be something missing, something that everybody's leaving out.  I've never heard about any character questions, so I doubt that it's a lack of effort or drive.  Maybe he's something like Tony Allen - has the physical tools to be special, but the mental tools just don't appear to cut it.  This is pure speculation, but there has to be some reason for his lack of significant impact.

 

 

there's no chance it could be that doc and danny simply didnt want to(nor felt the need to) rush the kid?? doc was already trying to develop one young pg already. we had house and tony also in the backcourt. he just wasnt gonna get a lot of game time. but from all accounts he did practice with the team a lot and learned behind the scenes. he went to the dleague and played well. what im not understanding from people is how they get from no pt on a championship team=not a good player, or no chance to become one. seriously comparing him to orien greene who played in a completely different team with a different context.

best case for the kid i think is monta ellis and contrary to what one poster said here he absolutely does have the physical skills to be a productive player here. whether hell put it all together is what remains to be seen.

I'm not talking about Doc or Danny at all.  I'm talking about before that.  In college at USC, he had mediocre stats.  Why?  He had the tools back then, too... and this was pre-Mayo, so it wasn't just because somebody else was stealing the show.  He never distinguished himself.

I'm not questioning his talent, or what he could be.  I'm questioning why he isn't already, since everything I've read has been positive.  It seems like there's just something missing. 

He wasn't exactly a bum in college. He was an important player - the 3rd option - for a very good team. And I wouldn't call his stats mediocre.

About your first paragraph... well, fans say crazy things about their own players. Especially when they are young, recently drafted and flashy - like Pruitt is.

IMO, and I've watched Pruitt's tournament games after the draft - so almost a year ago -, Pruitt is not (or was not, at that point) a point-guard. Not a natural one, at least: he's not protective and careful with the ball, lacks creativity as playmaker with the ball in his hands, he doesn't have the courtvision that allows pgs to fix broken plays and he doesn't know how to dictate the tempo. He wasn't exactly a traditional pg at SoCal, more the ball-handling guard. But he's too undersized and can't shoot the ball well enough to be a SG in the NBA, so we have to believe he can become a PG.
 
Can he? I think so, that he can be coached to be a serviceable pg or that kind of combo guard who can initiate an offense. But there are lots of things he has to improve - I remember his dribble, he was bouncing the ball too far away from his body; he slashes way too casually in the traffic; he's a very inconsistent shooter - especially coming off screens ; etc etc...

I have no idea how much has he improved during last season. His turnover rates in the NBDL, where literally nobody plays defense, are alarming. I don't like how high is his ppg average. But one has to believe he's trying to correct his flaws, so I think there are reasons to remain cautiously optimistic about Pruitt.

[Atzar]

That was the kind of response I was hoping to get.  Take a TP as a 'thank you' for the insight.

[cdif911]

Semi-bold prediction time:  Gabe Pruitt will not be on the Boston Celtics next year

I base this on a few factors.

1) This team doesn't need to develop young players, especially undersized 2's, FAs are gonna flock at value priced deals.  Gabe may be flat out cut

2) I've told this story before, but Gabe was lost at the practice I saw him at - Doc literally had to stop practice because of him.

3) We tend to overvalue our guys and undervalue everyone else - there's not gonna be a roster spot for this kid.

- in all fairness, I am 1 for 2 on these things, I called B. Wallace being cut last year, but also didn't think Powe would get the full season gauranteed (sometime around December I said that) .

[BballTim]

Semi-bold prediction time:  Gabe Pruitt will not be on the Boston Celtics next year

I base this on a few factors.

1) This team doesn't need to develop young players, especially undersized 2's, FAs are gonna flock at value priced deals.  Gabe may be flat out cut

2) I've told this story before, but Gabe was lost at the practice I saw him at - Doc literally had to stop practice because of him.

  Didn't Doc say he could hardly put Leon in the game when he was a rookie because he didn't know any of the plays?

[bucknersrevenge]

Semi-bold prediction time:  Gabe Pruitt will not be on the Boston Celtics next year

I base this on a few factors.

1) This team doesn't need to develop young players, especially undersized 2's, FAs are gonna flock at value priced deals.  Gabe may be flat out cut

2) I've told this story before, but Gabe was lost at the practice I saw him at - Doc literally had to stop practice because of him.

3) We tend to overvalue our guys and undervalue everyone else - there's not gonna be a roster spot for this kid.

- in all fairness, I am 1 for 2 on these things, I called B. Wallace being cut last year, but also didn't think Powe would get the full season gauranteed (sometime around December I said that) .

this makes sense but i still say that its fools gold. you do not want to become one of those teams that gets in the habit of trying to sign EVERYBODY(especially when you're well over the tax already) to fill out a roster. you dont want to sign all veteran players and then stay pat and risk watching your entire team get old overnight. pruitts young and athletic and that kind of energy is good to have coming off the bench to balance out the older experienced core. not to ention pruitt right now has more value to us at his price than he does to anybody else right now. now this changes if the kid obviously cant cut the mustard. but until we know more id give him the opportunity to see if he can help this team.

[Trifecta]

Why are we comparing Gabe Pruitt to JJ, Pierce, Al, and Joe Forte? All of those guys were at least lottery picks. Gabe we got in the 2nd round, can we please stop acting like he was a top 5 pick with all this "promise" nonsense. You get what you pay for, he probably isn't ever going to be a starter but he'll be a very nice role player down the road for us as a shooter and combo guard.

[Bahku]

I think a lot of this is a bit over-the-top ... Gabe's got talent, but he was a 2nd rounder and went when he should have. I think it's smart to keep this kid, because he may be one of those "hidden talents", and has certainly proved his worth in the D's. But let's keep it realistic for now like Trifecta said, (TP), and see how this thing develops.

[wolfceltic215]

I say assign House as backup PG to Rondo and give time to Pruitt as 3rd string PG.. Cassell is a goner already..

[2short]

I think he will be.  This isn't gerald green we are talking about.  Kid has a pure s stroke with range, good athlete and from a good system.  Will he be ready to play this year? Doesn't need to play, let him learn, 3rd string guard.  See Ray Allen's influence on the young guys (rondo, pruitt).

[Who]

There's no point keeping Gabe Pruitt around if you aren't going to give some role on the team. He needs to be the third string point guard this season. Otherwise get rid of him, if he has no role he's nothing more than clutter.

As for his ability/potential .... eh not sure. He has little-to-no point guard skills and he's pretty small for a shooting guard. Then again he's a competitor who plays with poise. He has some nice skills and gives good effort defensively.

Also, the Celtics offense should be a decent fit for him as a backup point guard because the directing part of the point guard role doesn't need to be that big, just get the ball up and start the offense.

[V_for_verde]

I don't understand Pruitt.  Everything I've read and heard - and I've looked around quite a bit - praises his game a lot.  He's a long, quick athlete with good enough handle to be a point guard.  He's got an absolutely gorgeous jumpshot, and he's quick enough to create his own shot.  He's tenacious on defense.  He's not a big assist guy, but neither are Chauncey, Tony Parker, etc., and we've seen what they've done over their careers so far.

So why wasn't he a superstar in college?  This description makes him out to be a super-prospect, a diamond in the rough.  Why hasn't it ever really materialized?  He showed well in summer league and D ball, but that doesn't mean much.

There must be something missing, something that everybody's leaving out.  I've never heard about any character questions, so I doubt that it's a lack of effort or drive.  Maybe he's something like Tony Allen - has the physical tools to be special, but the mental tools just don't appear to cut it.  This is pure speculation, but there has to be some reason for his lack of significant impact.

The reason why he was not highly regarded is that as a Shooting Guard, he's undersized and not good enough. And he played at the SG position almost thoughout his whole carrer. He was not considered a star because he never played at the PG spot in his whole carreer except for his last year in college, when a teammate of his, who played the point, died tragically. Nobody thought he could be a good PG. However, in the few months he played at the PG Gabe did it admirably and proved he could have a future at that spot, but his lack of experience at that position still hurt his draft stock on draft night. Danny knows Gabe doesn't have the experience as a true point guard, but he also knows he has the talent to become one.

We all agree we haven't seen much from Pruitt this year. What if we look at what the college bastketball experts say about him?     From Pruitt's profile at Draftexpress.com:

   

Lost in the shuffle a bit between the terrific play of Nick Young and Taj Gibson has been the emergence of Gabe Pruitt as a legitimate point guard for USC. Pruitt did an excellent job helping his team building up a big lead on North Carolina in the first 28 minutes of the game, but like all of his teammates, could not pick up the slack once the Tar Heel locomotive got rolling with 12 minutes to go.

    In terms of the point guard battle, it wouldn?t be a stretch to say that Pruitt outplayed the more highly regarded Ty Lawson for the most part tonight. He got torched by his first step on a number of occasions like almost everyone who tries to stay in front of him does, but countered by giving him a bit of his own medicine as well thanks to his own terrific ball-handling skills and quickness. Pruitt is a very flashy guy in terms of type of moves he can execute with the ball in his hands, but he also has a nice array of fakes and hesitation moves he can go to to open up the defense and find teammates on the drive and dish.

    Pruitt did a very solid job running USC?s half-court offense tonight, particularly with the way he executed on the pick and roll with Taj Gibson and Nick Young. He delivered crisp, unselfish passes to his teammates exactly where they wanted the ball, but unfortunately the Trojans could not knock down their shots in the 2nd half to finish off the game. Pruitt played a part in that as well, going 1-6 from behind the 3-point line and getting too passive down the stretch when his team needed him most. Fatigue seemed to play an issue here.

    Beyond being well on his way to making a successful transformation from the shooting guard position to the lead guard role, Pruitt has also made some big strides defensively under Tim Floyd. Texas? D.J. Augustin would surely agree with that statement after the way he was shut down in the 2nd round, and Pruitt made a number of big plays against the Tar Heels as well. Two terrific steals on UNC in-bounds plays after a Trojan made basket were the highlights here, showing outstanding anticipation and smarts to go along with his excellent wingspan and quickness.

This piece describes the way Gabe played the last time he faced real competition (assuming that the majority of time the D-League is a joke). It was his last game in the 2007 NCAA tournament. Given the fact that he had almost no experience playing at the point when he went to the tournament, such a growth in such a short period of time should make us optimistic, don't you think? Besides, when training camp started in Rome, Danny was asked which player had been the most pleasant surprise during the summer, and he answered that Gabe had player very well as a point guard much sooner than he expected (not too bad considering that he expected him to be the player with the most upside in the whole 2nd round).

I don't know if this kid is gonna play a big role next season or the following, but I bet he can play and he has a bright future ahead of him.