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Pistons need Taurean Prince to inherit Javonte Green's mantle

· Swoosh Shrestha · 2026-08-16T14:27:00+00:00 · nguồn gốc

The Pistons didn't bring in any big names this offseason, which has analysts and fans questioning if the team will slip unless they get substantial growth from their young players. However, Taurean Prince has a chance to make an outsized impact as an unheralded pickup, just as Javonte Green did last season. Prince isn't going to take over games by himself, but he is a solid veteran who can provide frontcourt depth and shooting to help win more regular season games and even turn a playoff game or two. Taurean Prince could be the most underrated offseason addition Last year, Green was a forgotten name until the Pistons signed him in August for additional forward depth. Some were questioning where he would even get minutes for Detroit, but he ended up being the only Piston to play all 82 regular season games. His tenacious defense and solid 3-point shooting (38% on 3 attempts per game) were exactly what the Pistons needed from his role. Prince can also fill a valuable role for the Pistons as a veteran forward. He's not as strong of a defender as Green, but is a lights-out shooter. Prince has shot 39% from deep for his career on 4.5 attempts per game, including over 43% in each of the last two seasons with the Bucks. As the Pistons search for options to fill out their frontcourt rotation after the departure of Tobias Harris, Prince could see his name called often to fill in gaps. Even without strong defense, Prince can have a big impact through his shooting alone. The Pistons bench lineups are generally slanted in favor of defense, with players like Green and Ron Holland II leading the charge as aggressive wing stoppers. Prince's shooting should help open driving lanes for his teammates while they hide his defensive weaknesses. Prince's role with the Pistons is clear And that shooting is genuinely great: Prince led the NBA in catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage two seasons ago by hitting 49.8% of his looks. Anything close to that efficiency would be a huge help for a Pistons offense always looking for more shooting. It could also help offset the pain of not adding a proper second option in the offseason. If defenses are forced to respect Prince's outside shot, his younger teammates will have better opportunities to create their own shot and potentially develop into a reliable second creator. This should be most valuable for Holland and Ausar Thompson. But realistically any Piston can benefit from Prince's shooting gravity, even superstar Cade Cunningham. Prince probably won't see any starts next season, but he's still a solid depth piece who can fill a much-needed niche in Detroit. If the Pistons use him well, it could be the second straight season they see a big impact from the most overlooked offseason addition.