Take a look at the Pistons' career leaderboards and you'll see Tayshaun Prince's name everywhere:
He's No. 5 in games and minutes played, No. 8 in points scored, No. 8 in field goals made and attempted, No. 5 in three-pointers, No. 10 in total rebounds and assists, No. 7 in blocks -- and this is just the regular season. Considering the Pistons advanced to the conference finals in each of his first six seasons, his presence on the career playoff leaderboard is even more ridiculous.
Needless to say, Prince accomplished a little bit of everything in 10-plus years in Detroit, but tonight, he'll do something new: take the court for the first time as a visiting player. He spoke to reporters after the Grizzlies' shootaround this morning, admitting it hasn't quite sunk in. From Vince Ellis:
"To be honest with you, it didn't feel different like I thought it would," Prince said of arriving at the Palace this morning. "The only thing that felt different was my first game in Memphis.
"When I ran out that tunnel, I was like, 'This doesn't feel right.' I'm pretty sure it will feel different tonight."
In six games so far with the Grizzlies, Prince has averaged 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. And even though he's been with the team for a very short time, he's already etched his name onto the Grizzlies' leaderboard: he tied a franchise record for most field goals without a miss with a perfect 8 for 8 performance on Feb. 10, finishing with 18 points.
Prince also spoke about the differences of playing for the Grizzlies, who are battling for homecourt advantage in the playoffs, versus the Pistons, who are simply trying to regain relevancy. From Vinnie Goodwill:
"They're in a position where they can get a great playoff spot and I'm just here to help," Prince said. "It's been a great opportunity. With the position they're in, you have the fuel and energy. With the way things have been (in Detroit), you come in with that down mentality.
"When you're playing good ball and beating quality teams, things start to roll around. The energy has been good for me."
[...] "Being in a position where we weren't playing good ball, the attendance wasn't that high," Prince said. "Hopefully it'll be a good crowd tonight. It'll be a high-energy game, especially from Austin and me. Because you always want to play good against your team when you first play them."
I hope Prince gets the long standing ovation that he deserves -- although I hope that's immediately followed with a competitive Pistons win. The Grizzlies have gone 4-2 with Prince in the lineup; the Pistons, meanwhile, have gone 4-5 since the trade, including 3-3 since Jose Calderon got his visa in order.
Now your thoughts.
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