Gabe Pruitt

[jdub1660]

For seeing Gabe today, I would say (today at least) he was pretty foul prone. He had 3 fouls in the 1st quarter...maybe somewhere in the start of the 2nd. The biggest thing that I saw that was awesome, was Ray Allen staying on the floor the play SF instead of Pierce. Ray seems to keep more gas in the tank and last longer than Pierce, just as he did in the playoffs where he played the whole game right. At this point, or later in the season, I would consider putting Tony as a starter, and letting Ray lead the bench as a SF, b/c he's smarter on both sides of the ball. Other than that, I would also put Tony Allen on the trading block, and send him to Chicago for Sefolosha. 6'7 and has a better shooting touch w/ 3 point range.

[kenmaine]

I agree with Nick, things are going so well right now, I wouldn't mess with it. And whether Doc decides to play Gabe over TA when TA comes back, I don't think it'll be based on being afraid to take minutes from TA.
As for Pruitt, I still don't have an opinion. Looks to me like he could be an adequate bench player for a long time, but doesn't really stand out in any way. Maybe that's a good thing- at least he's not making obvious mistakes, and he does appear to have a nice shot. At this point, I'd stick with Gabe, reduce TA's minutes, and PLEASE, forget about Cassell.

[Bankshot]

I think Gabe has not made a good use of the extra minutes he has received since Tony has been out. He is still tentative, he has been turnover prone, and doesn't seem to contribute offensively except in garbage time. Today was a step back for him, drawing 3 quick fouls.  I like the kid, but he has to step up and take it to the other team, and stop trying to avoid making mistakes.  He actually is a good penetrator when he puts his mind to it.

Agreed, except I don't think he's turnover prone.  Maybe he'll step it up in the 2nd half and be ready for the playoffs, but right now, I am not comfortable at all going with Gabe as the backup point guard in the playoffs.

[CoachBo]

I think one of the reasons the team has looked a lot better in this stretch is because there really hasn't been a "second unit". 

Rather, Doc has been mixing the bench in with the starters more (which several of us have been calling for for awhile now).  Today, for instance, instead of going to four or five bench players in the second quarter, Doc went with a mix of bench guys with Rondo and Ray.  Naturally, when the bench guys play with better teammates, they're going to play better, as well.

Do you have any statistical evidence of that?

Because although that would be somewhat natural (Tony Allen is, for all effects, the only backup wing), I don't see a big difference. For example, today, unlike you said, Doc went with four bench players in the second quarter. Only after Pruitt got his 3rd foul Rondo re-entered the game.

----

Anyway, I'm not very impressed with Pruitt so far. It's still soon though, and he shows signs of quality, so let's give him some more time.

Pruitt, like every young Celtic, is overrated by this board. But - he does indeed have the outside shot and some ballhandling skills that Tony Allen doesn't have. Minutes he deserves - until the playoffs.

[Michael Anthony]

I think one of the reasons the team has looked a lot better in this stretch is because there really hasn't been a "second unit". 

Rather, Doc has been mixing the bench in with the starters more (which several of us have been calling for for awhile now).  Today, for instance, instead of going to four or five bench players in the second quarter, Doc went with a mix of bench guys with Rondo and Ray.  Naturally, when the bench guys play with better teammates, they're going to play better, as well.

Signed

[BballTim]

I think one of the reasons the team has looked a lot better in this stretch is because there really hasn't been a "second unit". 

Rather, Doc has been mixing the bench in with the starters more (which several of us have been calling for for awhile now).  Today, for instance, instead of going to four or five bench players in the second quarter, Doc went with a mix of bench guys with Rondo and Ray.  Naturally, when the bench guys play with better teammates, they're going to play better, as well.

Do you have any statistical evidence of that?

Because although that would be somewhat natural (Tony Allen is, for all effects, the only backup wing), I don't see a big difference. For example, today, unlike you said, Doc went with four bench players in the second quarter. Only after Pruitt got his 3rd foul Rondo re-entered the game.

----

Anyway, I'm not very impressed with Pruitt so far. It's still soon though, and he shows signs of quality, so let's give him some more time.

Pruitt, like every young Celtic, is overrated by this board. But - he does indeed have the outside shot and some ballhandling skills that Tony Allen doesn't have. Minutes he deserves - until the playoffs.

  There are a lot of posters here. There will be a few of every opinion. This board underrates as many young players as it overrates, and many posters overrate players on other teams. It's not the board as a whole.

[CoachBo]

Could not disagree with you more.

[moiso]

I'd like to see Gabe make plays at the rim a little better.  A few times I've seen him blow by his man with a path to the hoop, but he looks like a deer in headlights as he approaches the rim.  I hope that will improve as he becomes more comfortable.

[winsomme]

When Tony comes back, I think we'll see a bit more of him playing some SF and probably some more of the 5-benchmen units.

That's probably true, and when that happens, I expect us to lose more games.  Operating as a five-man unit, our bench is horrific.  Mixed in with the starters, and the bench players can fill a role.

i feel like the amount of time with 5-man bench units has been minimal and limited to big lead stretches...

for the most part, Doc had at least Ray or Paul in there with bench guys. Rondo has been getting more minutes, it seems, with bench guys (maybe due to no TA) and Scal now may be getting Powe's minutes, but other than that, it's been pretty much the same rotations...

maybe the people who were calling for more Rondo with the second unit were right. there definitely has been less of a drop-off with the bench guys in there of late.

[elcotte]

I think one of the reasons the team has looked a lot better in this stretch is because there really hasn't been a "second unit". 

Rather, Doc has been mixing the bench in with the starters more (which several of us have been calling for for awhile now).  Today, for instance, instead of going to four or five bench players in the second quarter, Doc went with a mix of bench guys with Rondo and Ray.  Naturally, when the bench guys play with better teammates, they're going to play better, as well.

Do you have any statistical evidence of that?

Because although that would be somewhat natural (Tony Allen is, for all effects, the only backup wing), I don't see a big difference. For example, today, unlike you said, Doc went with four bench players in the second quarter. Only after Pruitt got his 3rd foul Rondo re-entered the game.

----

Anyway, I'm not very impressed with Pruitt so far. It's still soon though, and he shows signs of quality, so let's give him some more time.

Pruitt, like every young Celtic, is overrated by this board. But - he does indeed have the outside shot and some ballhandling skills that Tony Allen doesn't have. Minutes he deserves - until the playoffs.

Pruitt has skills and needs to play more to develop them. And he could be helpful in the playoffs.

[footey]

Pruitt has been auditioning for the last couple of weeks for minutes that Tony Allen and/or Stephon Marbury will gobble up unless he starts exerting his influence more. He has to show his dribble penetration-kick out abilities, and not be content just to bring the ball up and stand out by the 3 point line. He has a good handle and quickness, but he has to take charge more if he wants to be a factor on this team.

[BballTim]

Could not disagree with you more.

  Doesn't surprise me, but it's still true. If you like the sound of it more I could say "many people underrate our younger players" instead of "many people overrate other team's players" but the effect is the same.

[2short]

I think Pruitt needs to get his minutes since Eddie is a sg.  Let the kid get some time and see how he develops for playoffs.  Once playoffs come we aren't going to be looking to Pruitt for 20 minutes a game.  I'd assume Rondo and rested Ray & Paul will be gobbling up the minutes that doc has wisely spread out so far.  Tony is a sf in a sg body, he's physically stronger than Gabe but they appear to be the same height to me.  Tony is athletic plays good d and attacks the rim, he is also t.o. prone, up & down, lacking an deep shot.
Before playoffs we either need to get TA playing very confident and not thinking about things or move him PERIOD.  Tony's minutes can be eddie, scal, pruitt and walkers.

[crownsy]

Could not disagree with you more.

  Doesn't surprise me, but it's still true. If you like the sound of it more I could say "many people underrate our younger players" instead of "many people overrate other team's players" but the effect is the same.

If you read today's comments fromt he other side, there is a small yet vocal minority of mavs fans that thinks GG is an allstar the mavs are burying on the bench.

I'm with Bud, posters on every board overrate there own and others young players. The magic of potential.

[Brickowski]

Actually posters overrate over-the-hill veterans as much as they do young players.

What the player did two years ago doesn't matter.  He could have been an all-star or in the D league. It's what the player is capable of doing now.