Given His Chance, Pruitt Shines in Preseason Start

Couper Moorhead
Celtics.com
October 20, 2008

You could say this was Gabe Pruitt's chance. You could say that because the Boston Celtics' 83-66 win over the visiting New Jersey Nets took place in the preseason, it wouldn't matter much. You could say Doc Rivers just wanted to see what he had with starter Rajon Rondo sitting with an ankle injury.

However you qualify it, in the best opportunity of Pruitt's young career, he had something to prove. And in posting a forward-like line of 11 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, he did just that. But beyond the numbers, Pruitt showed that in place of Rondo with the starters, the offensive flow would continue uninterrupted and the Big Three would remain the Big Three.

"I think I showed I can play with the Big Three," Pruitt said to the largest pack of reporters that's ever gathered around his locker. "That's all I wanted to focus on and show if you put me on the floor with them that I can take the team and move forward and it won't be a step back for our team."

For the most part, it wasn't. Yes, Pruitt had his turnovers (6), poor entry passes and a ball or two ricochet off his hands out of bounds, but he also had a textbook break-and-oop to Kevin Garnett in the first quarter, three treys, a smooth up-and-under over two Nets defenders and countless displays of athleticism that gave the Celtics possession. Not to mention a career-high 44 minutes that dealt Pruitt more than a couple hard hits.

"He was so tired, had all these bruises on him; he was grabbing everything," Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. "I told him,'you did today what (Allen) Iverson has done for 10 years. You know, he plays 82 games, 45 minutes a night.' I said, 'Get used to it. It's something you would like to get used to if you could.'"

Rivers' endorsement included mentioning that Pruitt has worked himself into playing time if Rondo or Eddie House were hurt - as opposed to last year when his minutes came largely in blowouts or the D-League. Not surprisingly, though, given the team, it wasn't Pruitt's scoring that impressed Rivers, but his defense.

"Defensively is where he's made his biggest improvement," Rivers said. "He stays in front of the ball and he stays long. And that's good."

Pruitt marked the quick-stepping Devin Harris for most of Harris' 23 minutes on the floor, holding the Nets point guard to four points on 0-of-8 shooting from the field. Better yet, Harris rarely got to the basket, as Pruitt forced him into step-back jumpers by simply keeping the basket at his back.

Again, it was one preseason game for a veteran squad, but according to Paul Pierce, who said Pruitt understood what was required of him, it bodes well for the future.

"What I'm most impressed about him was his defense," Pierce said. "If he can continue to play like that, we may have something with him. He might be able to solidify a backup role."

If he does, Pruitt will have a few people to thank. Getting a taste of what Pierce is about, Garnett said, and guarding Ray Allen and Rondo on a daily basis will make you a better player. With his prove-it performance last night, whether the game counted or not, Pruitt showed that he has now improved to the point that he can step on the court with those All-Stars and keep the team moving forward.

That's something he could get used to.