Tayshaun Prince returns home to Detroit, leaves after Grizzlies win easily, 105-91

The fans stood as he was introduced, and in the return to the arena he called home for nearly a decade, Tayshaun Prince made his first appearance in Detroit as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. As the teams met at centercourt before tip, Prince laughed as he appeared exchange conversation with his former teammates.

He didn’t do much on the court — scoring just four points on 2-for-7 shooting — but he walked away on the victorious side and saw his former team basically roll over. It was exactly why fans should be happy for Prince. It’s tough to see someone of his stature within the culture of the Pistons leave, but when you see where the Pistons and Grizzlies are at right now, you have to be happy for him.

Memphis Grizzlies

105

FinalRecap | Box Score

Detroit Pistons

	Jason Maxiell, PF 20 MIN \| 2-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 4 PTS \| -9He was a non-factor on offense. Actually, he wasn’t even close to being a factor and his jump shot is becoming increasingly colder than a Michigan winter. Just bad, bad, bad — but what’s new with you guys?
	Greg Monroe, C 27 MIN \| 4-9 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 2 AST \| 1 STL \| 1 BLK \| 1 TO \| 9 PTS \| -9He was relatively productive considering he was banging with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol all game, but the train really went off the tracks when he sat in the second quarter. Once he came back, the Grizzlies had seized momentum and it may have been too little too late… in the second quarter, that’s what kind of night it was.
	Jose Calderon, PG 30 MIN \| 4-9 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 7 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 10 PTS \| -10When the Pistons were clicking in the first quarter, it was because Calderon and Monroe were working the Grizzlies with pick-and-rolls. Then, the Grizzlies took control in the second quarter and, well, everything went to hell.
	Brandon Knight, PG 26 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 2 TO \| 13 PTS \| -20He had a GREAT first quarter, exactly what you want to see from him. He was decisive, aware and knew exactly what he wanted. But, that was one quarter and one quarter only. Knight started 4-of-5 shooting in the first, but finished by missing five of his next six. Yuck.
	Kyle Singler, SG 22 MIN \| 3-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 7 PTS \| -9Singler rarely has bad games. He’s always average, slightly above average or slightly below. He’s kind of like a minor TV character, say, Al Rosen on Cheers — he’s always there, always doing something, but rarely does anything that has a memorable impact on the actual surrounding events.
	Charlie Villanueva, PF 17 MIN \| 1-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 STL \| 2 BLK \| 0 TO \| 2 PTS \| -17I’m not sure who was worse, Villanueva or Maxiell. Can I just make a plea for Andre Drummond’s back to please get better as soon as possible. Also an underrated storyline is that he lost the battle of former Pistons’ BFFs to Austin Daye, who scored six points to Charlie V’s four.
	Jonas Jerebko, PF 11 MIN \| 5-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 4 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 13 PTS \| +12This is how Jerebko looked before tearing his achilles three years ago. He was active, he was effective and he was a ball of energy. Granted, most of that production came with the game well out of reach, but it’s still progress from a guy who’s struggling.
	Khris Middleton, SF 9 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 0 TO \| 6 PTS \| +10Middleton played a couple minutes and had a pair of dunks. That’s about the most we’ve been able to type about him this season.
	Viacheslav Kravtsov, C 21 MIN \| 4-5 FG \| 0-3 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 1 BLK \| 1 TO \| 8 PTS \| -5Kravtsov was a part of the (end of the) bench brigade that clawed to make the final score more respectable in the fourth quarter tonight. He had a nice alley-oop from Will Bynum in the first half, but still didn’t look totally confident/aware on defense. He’s still a project, but tonight was a career night.
	Will Bynum, PG 18 MIN \| 2-7 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 0 REB \| 2 AST \| 2 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 5 PTS \| -4In recent weeks, we’ve seen much more of the inconsistently brilliant then mind-numbing Bynum from past years. With rumors of a possible trade to Oklahoma City floating around, let’s hope Sam Presti wasn’t paying attention tonight.
	Rodney Stuckey, PG 23 MIN \| 2-4 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 3 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 8 PTS \| -20None of the main bench cogs looked great tonight, but Stuckey looked the best. Most of his statistical production came during a time where Memphis was leading by 25-plus, though. So, basically, it was your average nondescript Stuckey game.
	Kim English, SG 16 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 5 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 0 TO \| 6 PTS \| +11I made the joke tonight that English has nestled nicely into the role of Lawrence Frank’s proverbial white flag or victory cigar on appropriate nights. Tonight, however, he played pretty well. The defense is still shaky, but tonight was a good night for him.
	Lawrence FrankThere were so many shots of Frank standing on the sideline shaking his head in disgust. That’s just the kind of night it was — a complete head shaker. The Grizzlies weren’t going to play as poorly as they did in the first quarter all game and the same goes for how well the Pistons played. There was nothing he could do tonight, but props for playing the end of the bench basically all fourth quarter; they could have easily rolled over along with the rotation guys, but they fought hard to make the final score less embarrassing.

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	Jason Maxiell, PF 20 MIN \| 2-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 4 PTS \| -9He was a non-factor on offense. Actually, he wasn’t even close to being a factor and his jump shot is becoming increasingly colder than a Michigan winter. Just bad, bad, bad — but what’s new with you guys?
	Greg Monroe, C 27 MIN \| 4-9 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 2 AST \| 1 STL \| 1 BLK \| 1 TO \| 9 PTS \| -9He was relatively productive considering he was banging with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol all game, but the train really went off the tracks when he sat in the second quarter. Once he came back, the Grizzlies had seized momentum and it may have been too little too late… in the second quarter, that’s what kind of night it was.
	Jose Calderon, PG 30 MIN \| 4-9 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 7 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 10 PTS \| -10When the Pistons were clicking in the first quarter, it was because Calderon and Monroe were working the Grizzlies with pick-and-rolls. Then, the Grizzlies took control in the second quarter and, well, everything went to hell.
	Brandon Knight, PG 26 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 2 TO \| 13 PTS \| -20He had a GREAT first quarter, exactly what you want to see from him. He was decisive, aware and knew exactly what he wanted. But, that was one quarter and one quarter only. Knight started 4-of-5 shooting in the first, but finished by missing five of his next six. Yuck.
	Kyle Singler, SG 22 MIN \| 3-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 7 PTS \| -9Singler rarely has bad games. He’s always average, slightly above average or slightly below. He’s kind of like a minor TV character, say, Al Rosen on Cheers — he’s always there, always doing something, but rarely does anything that has a memorable impact on the actual surrounding events.
	Charlie Villanueva, PF 17 MIN \| 1-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 STL \| 2 BLK \| 0 TO \| 2 PTS \| -17I’m not sure who was worse, Villanueva or Maxiell. Can I just make a plea for Andre Drummond’s back to please get better as soon as possible. Also an underrated storyline is that he lost the battle of former Pistons’ BFFs to Austin Daye, who scored six points to Charlie V’s four.
	Jonas Jerebko, PF 11 MIN \| 5-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 4 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 13 PTS \| +12This is how Jerebko looked before tearing his achilles three years ago. He was active, he was effective and he was a ball of energy. Granted, most of that production came with the game well out of reach, but it’s still progress from a guy who’s struggling.
	Khris Middleton, SF 9 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 0 TO \| 6 PTS \| +10Middleton played a couple minutes and had a pair of dunks. That’s about the most we’ve been able to type about him this season.
	Viacheslav Kravtsov, C 21 MIN \| 4-5 FG \| 0-3 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 1 BLK \| 1 TO \| 8 PTS \| -5Kravtsov was a part of the (end of the) bench brigade that clawed to make the final score more respectable in the fourth quarter tonight. He had a nice alley-oop from Will Bynum in the first half, but still didn’t look totally confident/aware on defense. He’s still a project, but tonight was a career night.
	Will Bynum, PG 18 MIN \| 2-7 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 0 REB \| 2 AST \| 2 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 5 PTS \| -4In recent weeks, we’ve seen much more of the inconsistently brilliant then mind-numbing Bynum from past years. With rumors of a possible trade to Oklahoma City floating around, let’s hope Sam Presti wasn’t paying attention tonight.
	Rodney Stuckey, PG 23 MIN \| 2-4 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 3 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 8 PTS \| -20None of the main bench cogs looked great tonight, but Stuckey looked the best. Most of his statistical production came during a time where Memphis was leading by 25-plus, though. So, basically, it was your average nondescript Stuckey game.
	Kim English, SG 16 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 5 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 0 TO \| 6 PTS \| +11I made the joke tonight that English has nestled nicely into the role of Lawrence Frank’s proverbial white flag or victory cigar on appropriate nights. Tonight, however, he played pretty well. The defense is still shaky, but tonight was a good night for him.
	Lawrence FrankThere were so many shots of Frank standing on the sideline shaking his head in disgust. That’s just the kind of night it was — a complete head shaker. The Grizzlies weren’t going to play as poorly as they did in the first quarter all game and the same goes for how well the Pistons played. There was nothing he could do tonight, but props for playing the end of the bench basically all fourth quarter; they could have easily rolled over along with the rotation guys, but they fought hard to make the final score less embarrassing.