Point guard Kyle Lowry is still with the Raptors, and Pablo Prigioni is still the starting point guard for the Knicks. While Lowry surely will move somewhere, there’s a chance Prigioni will stay right where he is — as the Knicks’ starter even when Raymond Felton returns from his hamstring injury.
According to a source, coach Mike Woodson doesn’t like to have a player lose his starting job via injury, but if the Knicks are rolling when Felton is ready to go, Woodson could still stick with Prigioni. There is a concern in the organization Felton will have trouble recovering fully from a nagging hamstring pull and pinched nerve in his hip — which is why the Knicks went full bore after Lowry.
According to an NBA source, “several’’ teams are in the mix for Lowry now. The Knicks are still making an attempt to find a way, but appear to be long shots at this stage. They have been unwilling to add a third pawn to a package of Felton and Metta World Peace — either Tim Hardaway Jr., Iman Shumpert or their 2018 first-round pick.
World Peace became eligible to be traded Sunday under NBA bylaws, as did other free-agent signings, Prigioni, Beno Udrih, Tour’e Murry, and Kenyon Martin, who is out indefinitely with an abdominal strain. (J.R. Smith is eligible Jan. 15 under a quirk in the collective bargaining agreement).
Prigioni has started the past three games and the Knicks are 2-1 — their lone loss occurring after blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead in Boston. On Monday night, the Knicks host the Wizards and their blazing point guard, John Wall, who torched the Knicks in Washington last month..
The Knicks reeled off 13 straight wins late last season when Prigioni was thrust into the starting lineup, but that’s when it was an all point-guard backcourt with Felton. Now he’s on his own, running the show as starter for the first time as a Knick — and he feels very good about the situation.
“I feel more like in Europe,’’ said Prigioni, the former Spanish League veteran. “I come back doing my same job I did there. I feel comfortable with more minutes. I get more rhythm. I feel more comfortable with the ball in my hands and more confidence.’’
At 7-16, the Knicks are eager to do a trade now that the Dec. 15 deadline has passed, but they have stabilized slightly — 4-3 since their nine-game losing streak that ended Dec. 1. Lowry, the former Rocket, obviously has more firepower and speed than Prigioni, but he also has a contract that expires after the season.
“[Lowry] is a very good player,’’ one league general manager said. “It’s a big upgrade for the Knicks.’’
However, another league executive said: “I think the Knicks need to be cautious with all these first-round picks they potentially give away. When you get in the habit of throwing those into a lot of deals it can backfire on you. They used to do it every year but that’s when they were in the Finals with [Pat] Riley and [Jeff] Van Gundy. That’s the only time you can be that generous, unless its for a bona fide starter or better.’’
Felton has been erratic, probably due to the hamstring injury he suffered in preseason. Prigioni puts more pressure on the ball than Felton and is no longer afraid to try the 3-pointer. He scored 11 points with six assists and four steals in the win over Atlanta on Saturday. He fits in better with Andrea Bargnani in an all-Euro pick-and-roll.
There’s also a stat that shows Carmelo Anthony has shot 55 percent when Prigoni has been on the floor in December and just 44 percent when he’s not on the court. Prigioni’s analytics has always been impressive — which is why the Knicks made his re-signing a big priority over the summer.
“He knows how to change the pace of the game,’’ Anthony said. “He knows when to push and when to hold back. That’s his demeanor, playing overseas, knowing how to slow things up. He brings that to us.’’
Teams normally leave the Argentine open at the 3-point line and he’s becoming bolder. He made 3-of-6 from 3-point land Saturday.
“We encourage Pablo to take those shots,’’ Anthony said. “Sometimes he turns down shots and he’s wide open. Shoot the ball. The last couple of games he feels comfortable and confident enough to take them.’’
Prigioni said Felton’s struggles is related to the leg injury.
“My first reaction is to support him,’’ Prigioni said. “When a player has two, three injuries, he’s very frustrated.’’
Prigioni is trying to get the Knicks thinking more positively. Late in the win over Atlanta, Prigioni sat next to the sulking Smith, who had been benched, and tried to console him.
“I try to keep pushing myself and my teammates,’’ said Prigioni, who almost never makes himself available to the press. “I believe we can change this situation. We can’t be sad what we did in the last 20 games. We have to look in front of us.’’