Tayshaun Prince
Tayshaun Durell Prince ( born February 28, 1980 in Compton, California) is an American professional basketball player. Prince, who played in his college days at the University of Kentucky Wildcats, was drafted at # 23 out of the Detroit Pistons in 2002. Since 2013 he plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. The 2.06 m wide and 98 kg ' light " Small Forward ( SF ) is considered one of the best defenders at his position. Here he benefited from his arm span of 2.18 meters.
Career
College
Prince has played four seasons long for the University of Kentucky Wildcats and thereby can achieve an average of 13.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. During this period, the Wildcats have won 97 games and lost only 39 games and made it into the NCAA tournament every year. Kentucky won in both 1999 and 2001, the SEC tournament. In the 2000-2001 season, Prince was voted SEC Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player of the tournament SCE.
Among his most memorable games in college counts a 79-59 victory against North Carolina in which he was able to record 31 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for himself. In this game, he scored the first fifteen points of his team with five consecutive transformed three-point throws. In a 87-82 win over Tulsa in the NCAA Tournament 2002 Prince scored his college personal best of 41 points. In 2002 he received his degree in sociology and signed up for the NBA Draft.
Detroit Pistons (2002 - 2013)
Prince was drawn in 2002 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons later than expected with the 23th pick. Disappointed with the humiliating for him disinterest Prince chose the jersey number 22 to symbolize the 22 clubs who spurned him. Prince played in his rookie season 2002-2003 only in 42 games (3.3 points per game ), but in the first round of the playoffs, coach Rick Carlisle was forced to change his statements about a 3-1 deficit to the Orlando Magic irreparable. Prince quickly convinced and have been prepared on a regular basis. He made it an NBA record since he had played the first player in the history of the league more minutes in the playoffs than in the regular season (137 in the season, 141 in the playoffs ). The Pistons managed to turn the series and had Prince in the seventh and deciding game his final breakthrough: he scored 20 points in 24 minutes and helped his team to victory. In the second round, the Pistons sat still through against the Philadelphia 76ers, had to then but the New Jersey Nets defeated. Nevertheless, Prince was established from these playoffs as a regular player of the Pistons.
Rick Carlisle was replaced by the former coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Larry Brown, the Prince aufstellte promptly to the grid on the position of the Small Forwards. Prince raised his average of 3.3 points to 10.3 points, and was also part of the Sophomore team in the NBA Rookie Challenge. In the playoffs, in 2004 Prince had his well prägensten moment on an NBA basketball court. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, he managed an almost impossible block against the star player the Pacers Reggie Miller. This action was often shown on ESPN and other American sports channels and is probably the hallmark of Prince 's career. After the Pistons were able to prevail against Indiana, they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals and the NBA championship secured.
In the following season, Prince keeps improving: 14.7 points per game. He was elected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team and was third in the election for the NBA Most Improved Player Award. The Pistons made it again this year in the NBA Finals, but they had to admit defeat after an exciting seven games to the San Antonio Spurs. In the NBA 2005-2006 season, Prince played in all 82 games of his team and kept his strong level. In the playoffs, the Pistons lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the following season, Prince was again constant and reached with his team one more time the Eastern Conference Finals, but they could not prevail against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2007-2008, the Pistons were once again eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, this time by the Boston Celtics in six games. In the NBA 2008-2009 season, Prince held a second time his average of just over 14 points and nearly six rebounds per game, but it drew a trend in his team off. You made it the last three years no longer in the NBA Finals, because you always failed in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year, the team was even worse and just made it to the playoffs, but only once in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers after four games again to be eliminated. Prince was relatively ineffective in this series with 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds.
In the NBA 2009-2010 season, Prince was struggling with injuries and played for the first time since his rookie season 2002-2003 in all 82 games of his team in the regular season. He had an injury 33 games and expose the Pistons did not make it into the playoffs. The NBA 2010-2011 season, the Pistons to use their team to rebuild in order to connect again to the successful periods of a few years ago can. There were always rumors that said that the Pistons would soon be separated from Prince to younger players to get on board, but those rumors proved unfounded.
Memphis Grizzlies ( Since 2013)
Prince and his teammate Austin Daye was transferred a three - team swap with the Memphis Grizzlies in the framework on 30 January 2013. In return, received, among others, the Toronto Raptors Jose Calderon while Rudy Gay moved to the Detroit Pistons.
Play
Princes of play is more focused on the defensive, with him the benefit of his speed and his long arms. He scored per game on average 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 Assists and is a good defender, which is why he was elected four times from 2005 to 2008 in succession to the All-Defensive team. Despite his scrawny acting stature, he is very athletic, which enables him to the basket with his back to shield the ball and to throw an opponent ( post up ) or hanging out with two quick steps to the basket.