Yes, Gabe Pruitt again...

[ScoobyDoo]

I really think this team is so much better when Gabe Pruitt is the guy backing up Rondo and letting Eddie play the off guard role. There are three main reasons:

1. He can actually handle the point and get the offense going fairly quickly. Because Eddie is not really a point, him trying to set up the offense kind of looks like a the opening to Benny Hill with the saxaphone music going...Ok, so I just dated myself a bit...just think "runnign around like a chicken with it's head cut off"...it's just chaos.

2. Gabe really plays some very, very good D on the ball, he's got great height at the point and he also gets his hands in alot of passing lanes.

3. I love Eddie House's game and I especially love it when he's playign where he should at off guard and thinking only about one thing on the offensive side, how to get open to drain another shot.

If it were my call, I would play the crap out of Gabe from here on out, mistakes and all. I'd put his feet to the fire and tell him to not worry about the mistakes too much and just let it rip.

TAllen would be relegated to backing up Pierce and banging the boards and being at the SF position would help him not pound the ball into the floor so much.

I just think Gabe makes us a much better team even if he's just bringing up the ball, getting the offense started and polayign some great D. He doesn't have to score that much. Although in time I think he will...     

[Cman]

I really think this team is so much better when Gabe Pruitt is the guy backing up Rondo and letting Eddie play the off guard role.

I agree with you --
Doc just doesn't like to play young players that much.
 

[liam]

I agree as well. Gabe is a good complementary  player. He should be getting more time, at least 10 minutes a game, maybe 12....

[Vermont Green]

In January, in games that Pruitt played more than 9 minutes, House averaged 13 pts and shot around 53%.  In games Pruitt played less than 9 minutes, House averaged about 4 pts and shot about 35%.  This was the period where Pruitt was playing more due to a Tony Allen injury

I am sure that Gabe will be playing again with Tony Allen injured.  Let's see if this has an impact again on Eddie's numbers.

For the record, I believe we need to play Pruitt.  House is fine at defending PG's but he is essentially playing out of position when forced to play the point.  If you ask Ray Allen or Pierce to be the "point" it is the same problem.

We need to get Pruitt ready to play in the playoffs.

[dmopower]

I am realy taken with Gabe, A much better combo guard that D West I think.
And he is much quicker than most think.
I would like to see him play more With rondo, and see what he can do at the 2 with Rondo.
That would besome serious Defense, If we need anything it is some young athletic players with skill.
The kid fits this role, and I see promise for him for years to come.

[KevinGamble]

i really share all your enthusiasm around Gabe.  I think he offers what we will really need down the road-- a team player who is athletic.  And then I notice the dark cloud on the horizon.  What is going to happen with Sam C.?  Add rumors of disgruntled vet buyouts, and now you have two more point guards?!? 

From a continuity standpoint I think we play gabe and then will end up just giving all those minutes to Sam.  the rest of the team's role will not change, but I think I prefer gabe even in the playoffs.  what would we even do with a buyout point?

Go Gabe, Hope to see you doing well in Green for many minutes soon to come!

[wdleehi]

i really share all your enthusiasm around Gabe.  I think he offers what we will really need down the road-- a team player who is athletic.  And then I notice the dark cloud on the horizon.  What is going to happen with Sam C.?  Add rumors of disgruntled vet buyouts, and now you have two more point guards?!? 

From a continuity standpoint I think we play gabe and then will end up just giving all those minutes to Sam.  the rest of the team's role will not change, but I think I prefer gabe even in the playoffs.  what would we even do with a buyout point?

Go Gabe, Hope to see you doing well in Green for many minutes soon to come!

I think since we are getting to the stretch run, we are going to start seeing Cassell out there to get him ready for the playoffs and to see what he has left.

[nickagneta]

I really think this team is so much better when Gabe Pruitt is the guy backing up Rondo and letting Eddie play the off guard role.

I agree with you --
Doc just doesn't like to play young players that much.
 

Perk is 24.
Rondo is 22 and a third year pro.
Davis is 23 and a second year pro.
Leon is 25 and a thiord year pro.
Doc played Al Jefferson when he was here and he was under 21.
Doc played Ryan Gomes when he was here and he was under 24.
Doc tried to play Gerald Green when he was here and he was under 20.

Young has nothing to do with getting playing time. I think Doc has proved that even on his championship club where he had 5 major contributors in his rotation that were under 25. Gabe and JR and Walker and POB are all young. But none of them has shown anything resembling consistency in the few minutes they have played to have earned significant run. And if they haven't shown it there then thy have to be showing it in practice and other areas where their inconsistencies during games could be forgiven because they are consistently good everywhere else.

That said, I do think this team needs a player like Gabe could be someday and what he has shown in flashes so that Eddie to play the position he is so much better at playing, the 2 position. The problem is the only other option on the bench is Sam Cassell who, for one, can't be in game shape after not playing all year, and also isn't the type of point guard that this team really needs to be successful. He's a shoot first and ask questions and pass later type of player and it will just stagnate the offense as much as Eddie's inability to run an offense will.

[CoachBo]

I agree, both with Nick and the original premise.

Pruitt really hasn't done anything on the floor to warrant additional minutes - except be out there with House. Whether he pleys well or not, Pruitt's presence on the floor makes House a better player.

[vjcsmoke]

Pruitt at the 2?  Surely you jest.  He's not nearly good enough to displace Ray Allen for minutes.  Pruitt at the 1 on the second unit, yeah he's looked pretty good there lately.  And is it just me or is Tony Allen nothing but an injury/turnover machine?  I have no idea why we resigned the guy other than 'he's cheap'.  If we could dupe some team into taking Tony Allen off our hands in a deal for a quality backup guy, I'd do it in a New York minute.

[Junkyard Dawg]

bottom line, we need a scorer off the bench, Cassell is that way before pruitt is, much as I like gabe over the long haul

[Jon]

I'm not nearly as captivated with Pruitt as some on this board and it's not just because I don't think he's that good.  In fact, I think that he might be option #2 in terms of who to cut, after POB, if this team adds two vets.  Here's why:

1) Doc isn't going to play him in the playoffs.  You can potentially critique Doc for this (but I wouldn't); however, like it or not, Pruitt isn't going to get time in the playoffs unless someone gets hurt.  There's 27 games left in the regular season and he still hasn't gotten regular rotation play.  With Tony Allen back and Doc most likely looking to see what Cassell can do, there aren't going to be minutes for Pruitt.  Even if there are, I can't see Doc going with Pruitt in a playoff rotation over House and Allen, who have both played in the playoffs before. 

2) He may not even be back next year.  The Celtics have 10 players under contract next year.  The only 5 not under contract are Pruitt (team option), House (player option), and Davis, Powe, and Cassell (unrestricted).  The C's are most likely going to want to add a vet or two and they're going to have a first round pick.  Add to that House likely exercising his player option and the C's trying to bring back at least one of Powe and Davis, and I don't see where Pruitt fits in next year. 

3) He's not that good.  He really isn't.  I hear some people saying he's better than Delonte West in this thread.  And to that I have to say, are you crazy?  Before West got hurt he was starting on a championship contender.  If Pruitt was so good, he'd actually be able to crack our rotation and beat out the likes of Eddie House and Tony Allen.  Pruitt's upside is to be Delonte West, which means he'd be a borderline starter/good bench player.  But that's his upside, that's hardly what's likely to happen.  There's about as good of a chance of that happening as there is of him being out of the league altogether in a few years. 

So, I don't see how he helps in the short term and I don't know if he's even going to be around next year, so I don't think it's really worth trying to integrate him into the rotation at this point. 

[hardlyyardley]

it just bothers me to look at the box score and see 8 minutes....no assists 1 rebound, 1 shot

[elcotte]

I really think this team is so much better when Gabe Pruitt is the guy backing up Rondo and letting Eddie play the off guard role.

I agree with you --
Doc just doesn't like to play young players that much.
 

Perk is 24.
Rondo is 22 and a third year pro.
Davis is 23 and a second year pro.
Leon is 25 and a thiord year pro.
Doc played Al Jefferson when he was here and he was under 21.
Doc played Ryan Gomes when he was here and he was under 24.
Doc tried to play Gerald Green when he was here and he was under 20.

Young has nothing to do with getting playing time. I think Doc has proved that even on his championship club where he had 5 major contributors in his rotation that were under 25. Gabe and JR and Walker and POB are all young. But none of them has shown anything resembling consistency in the few minutes they have played to have earned significant run. And if they haven't shown it there then thy have to be showing it in practice and other areas where their inconsistencies during games could be forgiven because they are consistently good everywhere else.

That said, I do think this team needs a player like Gabe could be someday and what he has shown in flashes so that Eddie to play the position he is so much better at playing, the 2 position. The problem is the only other option on the bench is Sam Cassell who, for one, can't be in game shape after not playing all year, and also isn't the type of point guard that this team really needs to be successful. He's a shoot first and ask questions and pass later type of player and it will just stagnate the offense as much as Eddie's inability to run an offense will.

When Al, Gomes and Green played there weren't any veteran options over 25 on the team. Doc could do a much better job of bringing along a guy like Pruitt during a season rather than giving him inconsistent minutes. He might find out that he has a resource that he can utilize later in the year.

[elcotte]

I agree, both with Nick and the original premise.

Pruitt really hasn't done anything on the floor to warrant additional minutes - except be out there with House. Whether he pleys well or not, Pruitt's presence on the floor makes House a better player.

Pruitt has shown that he can defend and he can hit a shot.