Detroit Pistons: When Tayshaun Prince Became The Ultimate Role Player
by AJ Wiseman
Tayshaun Prince’s ascent into a bonafide NBA starter for the Detroit Pistons happened in the biggest games of his rookie season.
The Detroit Pistons drafted Tayshaun Prince with the 23rd pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. He joined a team that won the Central Division with a 50-32 record. They had also earned a 2 seed and reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
There were high expectations for the team in Prince’s rookie year. The versatile forward out of Kentucky knew he would have to work hard for playing time coming into a veteran laden roster.
Prince entered the league after a good 4-year career at Kentucky. His size and versatility were traits that many NBA teams covet. At 6’9″ with a 7’2″ wingspan, Prince could provide depth at multiple positions.
His first regular season was filled with limited minutes and DNP’s. At the conclusion, Prince averaged in 10 mpg; 3.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 42 games played.
The Pistons again finished the season with a 50-32 record, a Central Division crown, and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They matched up against Tracy McGrady and the Doc Rivers coached Orlando Magic in the first round.
McGrady was the NBA scoring champ with 32.1 points per game and as a 6’8″ wingman he was a difficult matchup for the entire league.
In Game 1 at The Palace, the Magic won 99-94 behind McGrady’s 43 points. He shot 15-28 FG, 3-6 from three, and 10-12 from the line. McGrady was unbelievable and nobody on the Pistons was able to even slow him down. Tayshaun received a DNP.
The Pistons won Game 2, 89-77, but were scorched by McGrady, who went for 46 points on 16-26 shooting. Tayshaun played just 16 minutes as the series was tied 1-1.
The Magic won Game 3, 89-80. McGrady’s teammates stepped up big with Darrell Armstrong scoring 20 off the bench. McGrady still had 29 points and gave the Magic a 2-1 series lead. Prince only logged 11 minutes.
In Game 4, the Magic won 100-92. McGrady was held to a pedestrian 27 points, but again, his teammates were more of a factor and helped Orlando take a 3-1 series lead. Tayshaun had another DNP.
Down 3-1 to the 8th seeded Orlando Magic was not where the Pistons expected to be. Head coach Rick Carlisle had to make adjustments, specifically on McGrady.
While no player was going to be able to stop the prolific scorer, they still needed to find some way to slow him down and make him work hard to get his shots off.
Back at the Palace for Game 5, and facing an embarrassing elimination, a significant change in the playing rotation helped Detroit gain some momentum.
Although he didn’t start, Tayshaun played 33 minutes and spent a significant amount of that time assigned to McGrady. The move worked, as T-Mac was held to 19 points on 8-20 shooting. Prince’s youth and length proved how valuable the rookie could be against the league’s premier perimeter players.
Tayshaun finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and a +/- of +27 while McGrady was -25. The Pistons won 98-67 and forced a Game 6.
In Game 6, Prince’s minutes went back down to 15, but his time on the court was significant in slowing down T-Mac. McGrady had 37 points, but had to work to get those baskets, as he shot 11-28 from the field. The Pistons tied the series with a 103-88 victory.
Game 7 was Prince’s best game of the season. Coming off the bench to play 24 minutes, Prince finished with 20 points on 7-10 shooting. More importantly, he was able to help hold T-Mac to 21 points on 7-24 shooting. The video below demonstrates how Prince didn’t give McGrady any space and made him earn every shot.
The Pistons won the game 108-93, advancing to the 2nd round against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Detroit won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a stellar performance from Chauncey Billups. Unfortunately, he was injured and would be out for Game 2.
Prince came in and handled a lot of the point guard duties with Chucky Atkins. Tayshaun had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and the game tying shot in a 104-97 OT victory to put the Pistons up 2-0.
Billups had to sit out Game 3 also, giving Prince more point guard reps. The Pistons lost, but Prince had 17 points.
From that game onward, Tayshaun Prince became an important part of a team on the verge of a championship.
After not playing half of the regular season, Tayshaun Prince’s number was called in the playoffs and he excelled. It is an unusual trajectory for a NBA player and a difficult one at that.
He was a healthy scratch for half of the season, didn’t play in two of the first round games, then with his team on the verge of elimination, was given a significant role defending the best scorer in the league.
The next season, Prince was finally inserted into the starting lineup for good. He was a critical part of the 2004 championship team and made the biggest play of the season when he blocked Reggie Miller on a game tying layup in the Eastern Conference Finals. It is still the greatest block in playoff history.
Tayshaun Prince was often overlooked. During the ’04 championship parade, he went to the podium and reminded the world that 22 teams had passed on him.
Fortunately for Detroit, he fell to them and became the glue guy for the team during one of the franchise’s most successful eras.
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