The Silver Lining (Free Gabe)
We'll get to all that went wrong and is going wrong with the team shortly. But for a brief moment, I wanted to bask in the glow of a paper thin silver lining. Gabe finally got some run and the coach was impressed. From the Globe:
The Celtics closed the third quarter with a Gabe Pruitt-Rajon Rondo backcourt, and Rivers said Pruitt will continue to receive more playing time. Pruitt was the only Celtic to score in the opening 7:43 of the final quarter. The Celtics were outscored, 18-11, in the fourth.
"He played well," Rivers said of Pruitt. "He made one mistake. To me, he was trying to play safe when he drove and turned it over - that's a layup or a dunk. To me, where Gabe has improved is defensively. He's decided that he wants to play and he wants to be defensive and he knows that's his way onto the floor."
Glad to hear it. You can see that Doc is (finally) tinkering with the lineups and trying different combinations to turn this thing around. I've never said that playing Gabe would solve all our problems (last night it didn't result in a win), but he brings a lot of things we need (fresh legs, athleticism, backup PG help, defense, ball handling, shooting, etc.). It also helps to take a look at him before we make any moves so we know what we have first.
With that said, rooting for a young player to get some burn and grasping onto that small "moral victory" as the team loses once again seems a little too 2006 for my taste. So I'm going to leave it at that.
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Comments
With the way Rondo and House have been playing lately, Gabe should get 30+ minutes per game.
You simply can not play Rajon in a close game because we play 4 on 5 on offense when he is in there. Pierce and KG get double teamed every time and we can not capitalize on it because Rondo can`t shoot. Since Eddie isn`t in great shooting form Pruitt should get these minutes.
And the best part is that Gabe isn`t a downgrade defensively from RR. Just give Gabe more minutes with the big three and he will punish other teams for double teaming them…
by thebirdman on Jan 8, 2009 8:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Agreed.
I thought Doc lost that game when he took Gabe out and left House in.
by Bankshot on Jan 8, 2009 8:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. I didn`t understand that move at all…
by thebirdman on Jan 8, 2009 9:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
I’ve been saying Gabe should get some burn since preseason.
But Jeff, 2009 is looking like the new 2006.
"People don't understand, if you can't live the rest of your life off one year in the NBA, you can't live off 21." -- Keon Clark
by Eeyore III on Jan 8, 2009 9:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Doc is obnoxious…Gabe makes 1 mistake and has to sit back down, while the tired 3 and and company come in and are stuck in mud, cant hit the broad side of a barn or get a stop
by TheAncientRivalry on Jan 8, 2009 8:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Don’t think that’s why Doc took him out. All he is said was he played well, just made 1 mistake. Sounds like he was complimenting him on his performance. BTW – that same mistake is usually made by Rondo, turning up a layup for a pass out of the paint. I think Doc was just looking to get his more experienced players back on the floor for crunch time. It didn’t work out. You can’t always throw inexperienced guys in when the game is on the line. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The good news is it seems Gabe will start to get more burn. With that will come experience and confidence. Doc said it best, he’s focusing on being a strong defender first. That’s the focus of this team (defense),a nd that’s the way it should be IMO.
- JoeB
by joeb on Jan 8, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Gabe may not be a true point to back up Rondo, but he deserves to play over House. He is just an all around better player at this point.
by moiso on Jan 8, 2009 9:16 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
The Reason Why
In just a few short minutes Gabe reminded us why he needs to be out there more. And really, it isn’t about him as much as it is Tony & Eddie. They just don’t compliment each other well, never really have. Both can be effective players in their own right, but put together and you’re missing a ballhandler/creater that you can trust. That’s the biggest reason the second unit can’t get anything going offensively. You need players who can create a little bit off offense on their own, with an ability to get into the lane and make proper decisions. Gabe has that, neither Tony or Eddie does.
SCOTT
by Vegas Scott on Jan 8, 2009 9:53 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
doc is full of beans. gabe has been there all along and has not been given any real chance til this slide. how good is he? let’s see. wake up docc.
by nazzbo on Jan 8, 2009 9:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
How about Walker, Giddens and OB?
So we all know that the starters are beat. Who knows they could have the same nasty flu that has hit my family the last week or so. Cut their minutes back, lets test the bench. Bring in the new guys. No one’s gonna get rested playing their current schedule and minutes. We’re not winning games. We’re not learning anything. They’ll snap out of this funk come spring time. But what’s the best course of action for today?
by GreenBalls on Jan 8, 2009 10:19 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Showcase
Maybe we are showcasing Gabe to enhance his trade value. I like him as much as the next guy and would rather see him in the lineup than Tony Allen on most nights. It really is a win win situation for Gabe, if he gets PT and plays well then he will get more PT with us or with someone else.
"First fix their hearts"-Eizo Shimabuku
by billysan on Jan 8, 2009 1:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Gabe is going to get Tony's minutes
Or at least he should. Tony has been fly-covered crap this year
by Tradetime on Jan 8, 2009 2:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs




























