Hey Houston Rockets fans, remember your first reaction when your team traded Alexey Shved and two second round picks for a 37 year old point guard with 3 years of experience whose best averages were 4.7 points and 3.5 assists per game? It probably ranged from utter disbelief to anger to more conviction in your theory that Daryl Morey is absolutely clueless. Well didn't everyone look stupid when this happened.
The Rockets might have won by a landslide, but it was Pablo Prigioni that gave them the momentum they needed early to get and stay ahead. Management rewarded him by trading him to the Denver Nuggets as part of a package for Ty Lawson, and everyone knows how that turned out. Well now, with Jason Terry gone, the Rockets realized that they can't live without an old point guard, and chose to sign him to a two year deal, which will keep him on the team until he turns 41 at least. The financial details have, as of now, not been released.
Prigioni's Future Impact
What does this mean for the Rockets? Not much, honestly. Prigioni will probably become the veteran presence that Terry was while on the team. He will also serve as a mentor for Gary Payton II, a player that many consider a steal as he went undrafted. They're both known for their hustle plays and Prigioni can help him learn how to remain poised and not let his effort turn against him.
He will probably earn the same amount of minutes as he did in his first stint with the Rockets. His three point shooting has been getting steadily worse, going from 46.4% three years ago to just 29.5% last year with the Los Angeles Clippers. If he wants more playing time, he needs to vastly improve in this regard since three point shooting is going to be very important in Mike D'Antoni's system. Still, Prigioni has a knack for making the smartest of plays (unless it's taking three pointers) and he will prove to be a good addition to the team once again.