When the Pistons traded for John Collins in what became a messy six-team deal, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris were thrown into the trade and landed in Detroit.
Both veterans were more afterthought, but Prince could actually play a valuable role as a backup power forward, something the Pistons have lacked for the last two seasons.
Last year, Detroit used a combination of Javonte Green, Ron Holland II and even Ausar Thompson to back up Tobias Harris, none of whom are real power forwards.
To be fair, Prince isn’t really either, as he’s only 6-foot-6, so gives up some size, but it’s a position he’s played for a good part of his career, and he’s always been able to defend up enough to stay on the floor. Prince has a near 7-foot wingspan and presents mismatches of his own with his ability to spread the court.
It’s that ability the Pistons will try to tap into, which should help solve a lingering lineup problem and allow them to really open things up, but there are concerns.
Taurean Prince could help unlock the all-bench lineups
Much has been made about JB Bickerstaff’s “all-bench” lineups that generally drive fans nuts but can be an effective way to use your depth in the regular season.
The Pistons have some compelling possibilities without starters on the floor, including a lineup of Daniss Jenkins, Isaiah Joe, Ron Holland, Taurean Prince and Paul Reed.
I like this group as one that can push the pace, and spread the floor, which should benefit the holdovers from last year’s bench the most.
With Joe and Prince both on the floor, teams have to respect their shooting, as both guys were well over 40 percent last season. This gives Jenkins, Holland and Reed more room to operate, so the Pistons’ bench spacing should be much better next season.
But this group does have some big question marks as well, ones that will follow Prince to any lineup he’s in at the four.
Defense would be the biggest concern with this group, though I like the idea of putting Holland on the wing and letting him roam around the floor like Ausar Thompson does, hunting blocks and steals.
This lineup features two small guards and a small power forward not known for his rebounding, so the glass would also be a big concern, as the Pistons would be undersized at four positions. They’d really be relying on Holland to pick up the slack on the boards, especially on the defensive end.
Prince isn’t going to play huge minutes for the Pistons, but he can help unlock their bench by providing something they haven’t had for two seasons, which is a real backup power forward who can spread the floor.
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