NBA Offseason Coverage
                                                       What's the Deal?

                                By: Patrick Crawley

 

July 21, 2008 - Is Tayshaun Prince on the way out of Detroit?

Tayshaun Prince isn't good enough to help the Pistons win a championship in 2009. That's basically the message that Pistons general manager Joe Dumars sent to the fans in Detroit last week as trade rumors circulated about small forwards Tracy McGrady (of the Houston Rockets) and Ron Artest (of the Sacramento Kings).

Of course, trade rumors are usually just that: rumors. Especially in the NBA. But that doesn't diminish the pressure that Prince must be feeling right now. McGrady and Artest are two of the premier swingmen in the league and Joe D isn't the kind of GM to sit on his hands when his team isn't playing up to expectation.

So why is Dumars so anxious to upgrade the small forward position? Perhaps the frustration stems from Prince's lukewarm performance in the Eastern Conference Finals. Perhaps Dumars was disappointed by Prince's lowest offensive output of the last four years. Or maybe he just feels the need to shake the complacency from a team that has lost in the semi-final round in each of the last three seasons.

Whatever the reason, Dumars is certainly reaching out to his counterparts around the league, feeling out potential targets. And right now, the majority of those targets (the reported ones anyway) are premier small forwards, namely McGrady and Artest.

The first report came on the night of Tuesday, July 15 as ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith reported that the Pistons had an interest in T-Mac and that McGrady shared that interest. In that same report, it came to light that Rockets GM Daryl Morey had made an offer to the Pistons a few weeks earlier, which the Pistons had rejected. Terms of that deal did not surface. But it's safe to assume that we're talking about a blockbuster here, not Walter Hermann-for-Aaron Brooks.

Following the McGrady-to-Detroit talk, a second trade rumor surfaced on Monday morning from Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee. According to "one source close to the Pistons", the team is putting together a package to acquire the mercurial Artest, who has been vocal about his unhappiness in Sacramento since he chose not to opt out of the final year of his contract.

Again, specifics of a potential package were not announced. But Kings GM Geoff Petrie has been adament about including Kenny Thomas' dead-weight contract in any deal for Artest. So whatever offer the Pistons cobble together must be in the ballpark of $16 million.

However, before Mr. Dumars begins to assemble any package (whether it be for McGrady or Artest), there are a couple of factors that he should consider about Tayshuan Prince.

1) Prince is, first and foremost, the consumate teammate. Whatever the team needs, Prince delivers it; be it defensive intensity, interior penetration, or outside shooting. Every successful team needs a player like this. Witness: James Posey of the Boston Celtics and Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers.

2) Prince may have looked foolish in the Eastern Conference Finals, but Paul Pierce played outrageously good basketball in that series. Normally, Prince locks down Pierce. In the regular season, The Truth shot just 36.6% in three games against the Pistons. But something snapped inside of Pierce this postseason. Suddenly he was playing killer defense, dismantling defenses, and hitting clutch shots left and right. Granted, Prince didn't put up a good showing, but nobody was keeping Pierce from the title this year. Even Kobe couldn't shut down him down in the Finals. C'mon, Joe D, give Prince a break on this one.

3) Considering the multitude of "strong" personalities in Detroit's locker room, one more ego may be one ego too many. Artest would be the virtual ego that broke the camel's back. And T-Mac wouldn't be much better. Prince, on the other hand, is virtually ego-less. He's like the Morgan Freeman of the Pistons; a talented supporting role guy who won't cause you any headaches. You just can't put a price on a guy like that.

4) There's a whole list devoted to Prince's Top Ten Playoff Blocks on YouTube. How cool is that? When you have a player on your roster who can close the gap like Prince closed on Reggie Miller in that famous 2004 Detroit-Indiana series, you have to hold onto him, right? That's one of the most entertaining plays in NBA postseason history.

5) Prince is the poster child for durability. Despite his seemingly-frail frame, he has played in every regular season game for the past five seasons for Detroit. The same cannot be said for Artest, who missed 25 games in 2008 due to suspension and injuries. And certainly the same cannot be said for McGrady, who has missed over 50 games over the course of the last three seasons. The fact that you know what you're going to get out of Prince, year-in and year-out is a good thing. Right, Joe D?

In the event that the Pistons do decide to replace Prince, the Rockets (or the Kings) will be overjoyed to get him. A durable all-around player who plays good defense and contributes wherever his team needs it most? Who wouldn't want a guy like that?

The proof may not be in the numbers. But it's certainly in the results. The Pistons would be foolish to send Prince elsewhere.

 

 

 

 

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