Although former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni professed to love European players, sources told The Post he was against bringing in Spanish League point guard Pablo Prigioni the past few years.
The Post reported in July the Knicks had Prigioni on their radar for four years. According to multiple sources, Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald and European scout Kevin Wilson wanted to sign Prigioni, but never made an offer because of D’Antoni’s reluctance. Sources said D’Antoni felt Prigioni was a third-stringer and didn’t have the speed to make an NBA rotation.
Prigioni has been more than adequate this season for the Knicks, playing in 37 of 38 games, averaging 15.3 minutes, 3.5 points, 3.1 assists and just 1.2 turnovers a game. Defensively, Prigioni pressures the ball more than any guard other than Iman Shumpert. Prigioni’s value increased when starting point guard Raymond Felton went down with a broken pinkie. With Shumpert back and Felton likely returning Saturday in Philadelphia, Prigioni’s role could take a hit.
Wilson lives in Barcelona and had seen Prigioni plenty during his career. It was a good summer for Wilson, who joined the Knicks in London last week. He also persuaded Grunwald to sign Chris Copeland out of the little-known Belgian League and James White out of the Italian League.
Copeland, the former University of Colorado player, has been a delightful surprise with his inside-out scoring ability, filling in the gaps amid the Knicks injuries. Copeland played in a small town outside Brussels last season. A person close to Copeland said the Knicks were the only team to even scout him.
White, meanwhile, has been solid defensively and could eventually be an important spot defender against LeBron James in the playoffs.