Pablo Prigioni is the Knicks’ new starting point guard for now — and maybe for the season if coach Mike Woodson shows some moxie.
Raymond Felton, who re-injured his left hamstring in Cleveland on Tuesday, is shutting it down again “for a little while,’’ according to Woodson. If the Knicks go on a streak with Prigioni at the helm, there’s no telling if Woodson will bring the struggling Felton off the bench when he is ready to come back.
Felton is expected to miss more than the four games he sat out last month, which may be good news, not bad. Felton tried to play at less than 100 percent and was unsuccessful upon his return. With Prigioni as the starting point guard for the forseeable future, Beno Udrih is back in the mix as his backup. Prigioni is an analytics dream, with numbers showing the Knicks offensive output greater when he plays more than 20 minutes, dating to 2012-13.
Udrih had started when Felton went down with a hamstring/pinched nerve last month. Woodson said he is going with Prigioni for his pressure defense on the ball. Though Prigioni shot just 2-of-9 in the Knicks’ 83-78 win over the Bulls Wednesday, he had four steals, no turnovers and the defense was much better than it had been with Felton.
Udrih was also dusted off, playing 17:28, making 4-of-5 shots, but also committing four turnovers that helped the Bulls get back in the game.
Due to a late change, former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy was not at the Garden to broadcast Wednesday night’s game as Woodson broils on the hot seat.
Van Gundy, who has been linked to the Knicks coaching job, was to have broadcast the game for ESPN with Mike Tirico. Jon Barry took Van Gundy’s place on the telecast.
ESPN spokesman Ben Cafardo gave no specific explanation for Van Gundy being pulled, telling The Post the assignments are “always subject to change.’’
“We’re always reexamining our commentating assignments,’’ Cafardo said.
The Post reported Van Gundy would be considered by owner James Dolan for a future job after being on the outs with the Garden for an extended period of time following his 2001 resignation. Van Gundy would be very hesitant to take any coaching job midseason, but could be interested next year and would want more input in personnel matters.
In the wake of the report, Van Gundy went on the radio to say he was not lobbying for the position and said he “felt badly’’ for Woodson.
“He never wants to be a distraction,” a Van Gundy friend said Wednesday. Van Gundy has yet to broadcast a Knicks game this season. He’s next scheduled to broadcast Friday’s Thunder-Lakers contest.
“It’s possible he’ll be calling a Knicks game at some point in New York this season,’’ Cafardo said.
Dolan did not watch the game from his usual baseline seat.“He’s very sensitive about current coaches.’’