Taurean Prince

[jayu70]

I guess whether he will be traded depends on whether Huerter needs to be the starting 3

For the immediate future, I see Baze traded to give more time at SG to Bembry and Huerter.

Possibly, if he keeps up the good performance. But the thing is, it looks to me like Huerter's position is really a 3 later on when he gets more muscles.

That could possibly br true, but right now he's too slight for full time SF. He'd have to really take TPs spot from him.

[Jamaaliver]

There's a lot of people invested in making Trae out to be a star, so they focus on the counting stats. But we need to be careful about focusing on these raw numbers. The NBA's pace has picked up and the Hawks are #1 in pace so Trae's stats will be appeared stronger than they are, relatively to past NBA players. Also, his shooting efficiency and defense are still poor.

Is it possible this inflation from the torrid pace is also inflating Taurean's production/value?

It would explain how such a limited offensive player has jumped from 14 ppg scorer to 20 ppg scorer.

(NOTE: TP did see a scoring increase at the end of 2018 season.)

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[jayu70]

Scoring is up across the board around the League.
I prefer to judge Prince on his shooting efficiency (which has been terribad the last 2 games), his ability to limit his TOs and his defense (gotta be so much better).

[shakes0]

As a diehard Trae fan I've only been following the Hawks starting this season, but I'm watching every game. My impression of this guy is that he had a really nice couple of games to start the year and then he started reading his own press clippings and decided that he is now an allstar level player. As a result he feels that he should just stand on the perimeter waiting for the ball and his next ISO opportunity.


I personally feel that this is the kind of guy who can't play with Trae. He's too stupid out there to play with a savant like Trae. This guy should be constantly running without the ball, diving to the bucket etc. He would pick up several wide open layups and dunks per game if he would simply move without the ball and cut to the hole. But, instead he just sits on the outside waiting to ball stop and then either hoist a 3 or go ISO.



Can't wait for Collins to come back so Trae has someone intelligent who understands basketball to play with.

[kg01]

As a diehard Trae fan I've only been following the Hawks starting this season, but I'm watching every game. My impression of this guy is that he had a really nice couple of games to start the year and then he started reading his own press clippings and decided that he is now an allstar level player. As a result he feels that he should just stand on the perimeter waiting for the ball and his next ISO opportunity.


I personally feel that this is the kind of guy who can't play with Trae. He's too stupid out there to play with a savant like Trae. This guy should be constantly running without the ball, diving to the bucket etc. He would pick up several wide open layups and dunks per game if he would simply move without the ball and cut to the hole. But, instead he just sits on the outside waiting to ball stop and then either hoist a 3 or go ISO.

Can't wait for Collins to come back so Trae has someone intelligent who understands basketball to play with.

As you stated, you've only watched like 6-7 games of the guy. I'd recommend letting the season breathe a bit before making these grand sweeping assessments.

[shakes0]

As a diehard Trae fan I've only been following the Hawks starting this season, but I'm watching every game. My impression of this guy is that he had a really nice couple of games to start the year and then he started reading his own press clippings and decided that he is now an allstar level player. As a result he feels that he should just stand on the perimeter waiting for the ball and his next ISO opportunity.


I personally feel that this is the kind of guy who can't play with Trae. He's too stupid out there to play with a savant like Trae. This guy should be constantly running without the ball, diving to the bucket etc. He would pick up several wide open layups and dunks per game if he would simply move without the ball and cut to the hole. But, instead he just sits on the outside waiting to ball stop and then either hoist a 3 or go ISO.

Can't wait for Collins to come back so Trae has someone intelligent who understands basketball to play with.

As you stated, you've only watched like 6-7 games of the guy. I'd recommend letting the season breathe a bit before making these grand sweeping assessments.

Agreed, just not liking what I'm seeing so far in terms of BBIQ and ball stopping.

Seems like a few games ago he got the green light to bring the ball up the court whenever he gets it. His game has gone downhill since. Maybe simplify things for him and instruct him to give it to Trae and then bust his ass down court, try and out run the other team.

[macd-gm]

Bud wanting catch and shoot, 3&D guys. Travis/Pierce want playmakers at every position. Prince is still learning to be a playmaker. He's becoming a pretty deadly shooter from all ranges though so once he can consistently get open shots, without turning the ball over, he maybe great.

[Jamaaliver]

Bud wanting catch and shoot, 3&D guys.

Travis/Pierce want playmakers at every position.

This is part of the reason I think he's likely to be moved eventually. If we get a top-7 pick next summer, we likely draft another play-making wing -- making TP expendable. The fact he wasn't drafted by Travis factors into this as well.

He struggled hugely at midpoint last season.

Spoiler:

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I do expect him to recover and play reasonably well. But it's not unreasonable that the role Pierce wants him to play is so vastly different than what he was previously asked to do -- that he is being miscast here.

His turnovers are atrocious.

[hawkmanreturns]

Prince needs to forget about Drew League and play like he did last season. He's trying to do way too much and it's hurting his stats and the team. I watched him single handedly help the Cavs get a double digit lead in the 3rd quarter last night. He kept making the same mistakes over and over again and wouldn't stop until he fouled out. It's like his BBIQ flew out the window over the summer.

[Jamaaliver]

Serious question, and I don't mean to beat a dead horse. But in Power Rankings, The Athletic states that Taurean's production is impressive and likely worthy of a major extension next summer.

Is that wise for our master plan, investing a huge chunk of money so early on such an un-spectacular player?

26. Atlanta Hawks, 2-3 (-2.2 net rating)

This definitely feels like a ranking projecting the entire season for the Hawks, rather than what we’ve seen so far. Atlanta has been surprisingly competitive, blowing the Cavaliers out of the water and winning a very fun game over Dallas. Aside from the one big game, Trae Young is struggling to make shots. Roughly two-thirds of his 3-point attempts are coming off the dribble and he’s only knocking down 29.2% of them. The next Steph Curry? More like the Staph Infection Curry because that jumper needs some antibiotics. Again, please don’t close this tab.

Taurean Prince looks awesome in his third season so far. He’s leading the team with 20.6 points per game on 61.8% true shooting. Prince needs to cut down the turnovers, but this kind of play will command a giant extension next fall.

The Athletic


Seriously, do we see TP as a surefire, long-term, foundational piece to our future?
Or just a good player with a well rounded skill set?

NOTE: If we don't reach an extension deal with T Prince by summer 2019, I do foresee another team making a huge offer in 2020 free agency that we won't want to match. Similar to what happened with THJ.

[Jamaaliver]

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[ChokeFasncists]

It's only his third year and he's a late bloomer. He just needs to get his passing and turnovers under control.

[Jamaaliver]

There's growing concern over Taurean's development among the fandom.

What does Taurean Prince’s shot selection say about his future role in the Hawks’ offense?



Now in his third year with the Hawks, forward Taurean Prince has been a point of controversy in discussions about the team essentially since his first minutes with the team back in 2016-17.

With the look of a prototypical forward capable of knocking down threes on one end and locking down the strongest and quickest wings in the league on the other, his actual evolution has not been a smooth rise. Prince’s disjointed development to this point in his career has seen his defensive acumen fluctuate from starter-level to well below average and his offensive skill set blossom, but now questions are being raised as to Prince’s fit with the rest of the team.

The numbers aren’t kind to him in a small sample size this season – he’s taken 40 pull-up jumpers in 10 games this season, a full 40.4 percent of his shot attempts and more than anybody else on the team. He’s made 14 of these for a paltry 38.8 effective field goal percentage and a 77.5 offensive rating. There are only seven players league-wide who have taken at least 40 pull-up jumpers and score at a worse rate than Prince.

Results to this point should be taken with a significant grain of salt and are subject to small sample sizes this early in the season, but Prince’s usage from mid-range and in the pull-up game are indicative of an overall trend with his shot selection. Never an overly explosive athlete, his attempts at the rim have plummeted since his rookie season, most of which were replaced with three-pointers, but the increasing proportion of his shots from beyond 14 feet but inside the three-point line has some wondering about his long-term offensive ceiling and role within the Hawks’ offense.

Peachtree Hoops

Prince is already a better offensive player than many would have expected after his rookie year, but where does he go from here? Given his shot selection, he doesn’t seem to see himself as simply an effective outside shooter; he wants to be more than that.

He’s not a particularly good passer at this stage of his career, though his assists are up this season as an overall percentage of his possessions used. He’s not going to finish at the rim at a high level due to his athletic limitations. So, if he wants to expand his offensive game beyond the three-point shot, are these pull-ups a necessary part of his development? This Hawks team is the perfect opportunity for guys to try to broaden their skill sets, and there’s a chance the coaching staff and front office have asked Prince to try to become more of a two-level scorer.

The Hawks have one of the best shot profiles in the league, but Prince’s individual profile stands out as potentially standing against the grain for what the team wants to do. In terms of setting an offensive culture of playing for each other and passing up decent shots for better ones, does Prince eventually fall in line or do they give him more freedom to do as he pleases? How does this freedom affect his teammates, who might have a more rigid set of instructions with regards to shot selection?

We don’t have any answers to these questions 11 games into the season, but they will be worth monitoring as the year progresses.

[ATL Boy]

Am I just seeing things or does it feel like Taurean is trying to somewhat ice Trae Young out when he gets the opportunity? Every time Trae is open for a 3-pointer, Prince opts not to pass it and to drive the ball or take his own shot instead.

[D21]

Am I just seeing things or does it feel like Taurean is trying to somewhat ice Trae Young out when he gets the opportunity? Every time Trae is open for a 3-pointer, Prince opts not to pass it and to drive the ball or take his own shot instead.

If that's the case, it would be stupid from him, because he can get assists by passing to Trae, and more, if Trae gets open shots, and hit them, it would then open the floor for him to attack the rim a,d be more opened for a 3pts shot

[Jamaaliver]

Am I just seeing things or does it feel like Taurean is trying to somewhat ice Trae Young out when he gets the opportunity? Every time Trae is open for a 3-pointer, Prince opts not to pass it and to drive the ball or take his own shot instead.

I've had the same thought. I can't remember who said it, but I heard a blurb on a podcast (probably mumblin' Brad Rowland) mention that veterans seemed to have indeed iced him out on occasion early in the season. Particularly when Young Trae started jacking up terrible shots.


Trae is perhaps overly ball dominant at a very early stage. But Taurean shouldn't be the guy taking those possessions away. He isn't a strong isolation player or play-maker.

[reazun]

I think the decision on Taurean's effectiveness is really something that has to be assessed in the locker room. Its an attitude issue. What is he trying to do? Is he trying to help the team, and because of that, trying to take over offensively (because he is able to do so, he just had a stretch of bad shooting, looks like that its hopefully over by looking at the box score of last nights game). Or is he trying to be the man, ice out Trae b/c of ego, etc.

If Taurean is humble, teachable, and willing to work on his turnovers. If he is taking all those shots simply b/c he is confident that he will get it going and help the team..then I say Id like to keep him.

If he just wants to put on a show and thinks he is something that he is not. Thus, hurting the team..then I say trade him when we can get good value for him.

I think the former is the case, honestly,. Taurean is still young also. he is learning and is better than most people would have expected at this point of his career. When Schroeder was prematurely being a diva...Taurean was the one who called him out on twitter b/c Schroeder hasnt accomplished enough to justify his ego. I think Taurean is a humble guy who is valuable to the team...he had a rough few nights with shooting, but he can shoot...he isnt Josh Smith out there shooting threes and missing..he is Taurean Prince. There is a big difference.

[kg01]

Am I just seeing things or does it feel like Taurean is trying to somewhat ice Trae Young out when he gets the opportunity? Every time Trae is open for a 3-pointer, Prince opts not to pass it and to drive the ball or take his own shot instead.

Nah, that's not true at all. It's nothing against Young ... Printz does that to everybody. Did y'all see the temper tantrum he threw when Lin opted to pass to an open Huerter instead of Printz on that one fastbroke?

Someone has convinced Printz that this is his team since he's been here longer and it's been to his detriment. He's out over his skis all night since his 'game' hasn't caught up to his ego. I truly believe, if the Anderson guy was healthy, he'd be eating TP's minutes.

I was completely sold on Printz as a build-piece before the season. Now I'm thinking it may be time to sell-high before he reveals more warts.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

#TradeBait

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