http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/sf_080919.htmlAfter a summer that began with his name heavily involved in trade rumors and ended with a gold medal draped around his neck, Tayshaun Prince returns to the Pistons perhaps needed more than ever. If there’s one position where the Pistons’ depth isn’t quite as well defined as others, it’s Prince’s small forward position. Though the Pistons have plenty of options behind the six-year veteran, there’s not one logical player in line as there was last season when Jarvis Hayes was signed as a free agent. Hayes has moved on, signed to a free-agent contract by New Jersey, and it just might be that three-time All-Star shooting guard Rip Hamilton becomes the No. 1 option at small forward when Prince goes to the bench. But it stands to reason that Prince will again challenge for the team lead in minutes played, the position he’s held for three of the past four seasons. “Tayshaun is an example of a guy who has improved each year,” Pistons vice president Scott Perry said. “His skill level has gotten better. His shooting percentage has gotten better. He could always pass the basketball. His knowledge – he’s a very smart basketball player, a great student of the game. He knows all five positions on the floor. That allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways. “He has a good knack for figuring out what the team needs each night. Some nights he might need to score a little more so he takes that role on. Other nights he might need to distribute the ball a little more. Other nights it’s to defend and rebound. He has a good feel and I think that’s really his strength, aside from the great length and some of the natural physical abilities.”
That great feel for the game, coupled with Prince’s defensive prowess and versatility at both ends of the court, made him an easy pick for the U.S. Olympic team though it struck some as surprising – surprising only because Prince doesn’t have an All-Star resume or the gaudy statistics of most of his Olympic teammates. But Prince’s value was apparent throughout the Games as he made key defensive plays, kept the ball moving of offense, hit momentum-stopping shots and always seemed to make good things happen. During one preliminary round game, USA coach Mike Krzyzewski yanked center Dwight Howard from the game for misplaying a pick-and-roll defensive assignment. Too busy coaching the game to correct Howard, he asked Prince to do it instead. “And Mike Krzyzewski had just been around him a few weeks and a few weeks last summer,” Perry said. “That’s why there was a spot on the Olympic team for someone like that. I’m sure Tayshaun, before it was over, knew every spot on the floor, point through five.” Another unappreciated aspect of Prince’s game is his amazing durability. Since moving into the staring lineup to start his second season, Prince hasn’t missed a game – five straight seasons of playing all 82 games. He was Flip Saunders’ security blanket during his three seasons as Pistons coach. Saunders valued Prince not only for his defense but also his ballhandling, often electing to keep Prince in the game whenever Chauncey Billups sat so the backup point guard would have a safety valve at his side.Hamilton began emerging as an option at small forward as last season progressed, frequently taking turns guarding elite scoring small forwards around the Eastern Conference. In a memorable March win over Cleveland at The Palace, Hamilton, playing on a sore hip, held LeBron James to 13 points. “That will play itself out on the court,” Perry said of the possibilities of Hamilton at small forward. “But I can see that. That’s not a far-fetched idea. I like the versatility of our team. I think Michael (Curry) will be in tune with that and not be afraid to explore guys at different positions, give guys opportunities who are coming off the bench to look at different positions where they can help the team.”
Another credible option at small forward is Walter Herrmann, acquired in December from Charlotte in the trade involving Nazr Mohammed. In limited opportunities, Herrmann showed shooting range and the ability to make plays off the dribble. Saunders thought Herrmann was better suited to playing power forward for the mismatches he created, but the Pistons brought him back as a free agent over the summer with the intention of using him at small forward. “He’s a great guy to have with the team,” Perry said. “He’s tough. He has a physical side to his game that we like. He is able to hit an open shot. Defensively, when you’re looking at backup at the small forward position, he’s a guy that changes it up a little bit. He’ll probably defend guys more with his physical ability than using length, like Tayshaun. It will all come together, but he will definitely be looked at to see what he can handle at that small forward position. “The exciting thing for all players when you have a new coach coming in is there will be a new philosophy on the way we’re going to play the game and his approach to using personnel. Mike’s one of those guys, he will find and establish a role for each guy on the team and that’s important.”Though Arron Afflalo will log most of his minutes at shooting guard, he’s a gritty enough defender to match up with all but the most physically dominant small forwards defensively. The final piece to the puzzle at small forward is rookie Walter Sharpe, taken No. 32 overall despite having played just 18 games over his final three seasons of college basketball. Sharpe, a former McDonald’s All-American, was only recently diagnosed with narcolepsy, a sleep disorder, that is now under control with medication. A long, lanky player with a multifaceted offensive game, Sharpe is probably more of a long-range prospect, but the Pistons will put not limitations on him. “Like most rookies, especially a rookie with his background, you’ve just got to see how he learns and comes on. He made strides this summer. But there will be an awful lot coming at him early. The good thing for him and us is there will be patience.”
