Top Listener Email: Mike B. from Erie, MI: Pistons 2009 Champs… Tayshaun Prince needs to be the focal point

SHOULD TAYSHAUN BE THE FOCAL POINT?

Hey, John and Deven!

I’ve quickly become a fan of Pistonscast and I like the show.  I’ve been listening the past couple of months now, and it’s nice to have True Blue fans who know the game discussing the team I love.  Great job and keep up the good work.  Anywho, I’ll get to the juicy stuff.

I, too, tuned in to what turned out to be a disappointing loss to the defending champion Boston Celtics last Sunday evening.  The game started out great, both teams looked to be pretty even, and we know how it ended.  I just got done reading John’s post, and I do agree with a lot of what he said.  There is one thing I would like to point out about the Pistons, though, and that point (I believe) should become the Pistons’ focal point now that Mr. Big Shot has departed.  Tayshaun Prince.

That’s right, fellas.  There’s a number of things about this player that I have come to enjoy over the past few years.  I’m a die-hard fan. I’ve gone to a game every year since 2001 except for last season, so trust me when I say I know the transformation and strides this team has made throughout the last few years.  A big part of that is Tay.

He is BY FAR the most underrated player in the NBA.  In a league that markets superstars, it’s understandable with the fan voting why he has not been an All-Star, even though he deserves it.  He’s a quiet guy who goes about his business in a professional manner and lets his game speak, devoid of the attractive personality characteristics present in NBA stars like Kobe, Shaq, KG, DWade, Dwight Howard and LeBron.  It’s not understandable why the Pistons don’t use him more frequently in their well-documented offensive lapses.

In Sunday’s game, he had 23 points on 9-16 shooting (2-2 from behind the arc) to go with his 8 rebounds and 2 assists.  He also had a big game against Toronto.  Since Chauncey’s departure, he has stepped up big-time.

I know, as most Pistons fans know, that Detroit doesn’t need a go-to guy.  That’s not their style, and even as they adjust to A.I.’s game it still won’t be their style.  What bothers me during these offensive lapses, though, is that Detroit goes from a team that has a lot of scoring options to a team that doesn’t know who they want to score.  Even before Iverson’s arrival they had this problem.

Just look at all the Eastern Conference Finals post 2005.  They don’t know who they want to score and play hot potato with the ball until somebody settles for either a bad or highly contested shot.

So, that being said, I’m going to make a declaration that both the mainstream media and Pistons fans alike, for whatever reason, seem to lose in the shuffle: In order for Detroit to be successful, Tay needs to be the focal point.

History will help me in this thesis.

Who locked up T-MAC in his prime back in ‘03 after riding the bench all season and helped the Pistons erase a 3-1 deficit to beat the Magic? Tay.

Who didn’t give up on a Reggie Miller streak down the court in ‘04 and came out of nowhere to block the future Hall of Famer’s shot to swing the momentum in Detroit’s favor against the Pacers that ultimately helped them win the championship? Tay.

Who has not missed a single game in his NBA career and won an Olympic Gold Medal? Tay.

This guy is the unsung hero and the glue that holds together this team.  Other than A.I., he’s the only Piston who can score in a multitude of ways.

Rasheed usually can score when he wants to and is a good 3-point shooter, but he’s more effective for the Pistons when he’s on the block.  He gets to the line more down there, and his versatility for his size makes him more valuable to the Pistons when he’s in the post.

Rip is great off screens and a great shooter, but is much better and more effective that way than when he creates off the dribble.

Stuckey is a great all-around scorer, but is at his best when he gets to the basket off the dribble and gets in the paint.  He’s a good finisher and a good passer, so he’s more of a threat when he gets in the lane as opposed to shooting the J because he’s either going to the line or dishing it to somebody who’s open.

Tayshaun played the point in college, so he’s confident enough and skilled enough to handle the ball when he needs to.  He can hit 3’s.  He’s got a quick first step for his height and can take people off the dribble.  He’s unselfish and finds the open man when he doesn’t have a good look.  He’s got a nice baby hook.  He’s got a good mid-range game.  He’s a threat in transition.  He can dunk in traffic and is usually a consistent free throw shooter.  He’s a lefty.

Tayshaun is modest, and I love him for that.  I don’t want him to change his personality, nor does he need to in order for the Pistons to succeed.  However, the Pistons need to recognize in these offensive lapses, at least until A.I. gets acclimated, that this guy needs the ball.  Tay won’t demand it because it’s not his style, but this team has been playing together long enough to know that he’s the most viable option in those breakdowns.

Does Detroit need him to score 23 a game like he’s capable of?  No.  They just need to recognize that he’s the one who can create in those situations.

Even though they lost to the Celtics Sunday, the Big 3 only combined for 32 points, 17 of which came from Ray Allen.  Pierce was held in check by Tay and only got 7 on 3-10 shooting.  This further supports my point that he needs to be the guy on offense because Pierce is a good defensive player and Tay sizzled him for 23 while shooting 56 percent.

With the trade, all the focus has been on A.I. both in the media and on the show.  In the last show, concerns were brought up about him trying to take over.  That won’t happen.  He knows where he’s at in his career and he wants to win the big one.  I don’t think he’s concerned about averaging 30 anymore.  He didn’t come here to do that.  He came here to win.

The mainstream media seems to think this trade benefits Denver more, and a lot of casual fans also believe this.  I disagree not just because I’m a Pistons fan, but because Detroit needed another all-around offensive threat when things go stagnet, and they got it in A.I.  It will pay great dividends come Playoff time.

However, Pistons fans have also got lost in the A.I. hype.  We don’t need him to be the savior or the focal point.  Detroit never needed a savior.  They needed another offensive assassin, and they got one.

Which brings me full circle.  Tay gets lost in the shuffle every year, both by fans and the media.  Yes, he’s a respected player in the League, the media, and certainly by the Piston faithful.

But we forget how important this guy is to this team.  His teammates know how good he is, yet they look like a bunch of guys in a pick-up game when the clock runs down and don’t know who to give the ball to.

Give it to Tay.  He’s been the most consistent Piston since he came to the franchise in ‘02.  His character, attitude, and talent have never been questioned, but they have never been highlighted, either.

This is the year his skills need to be maxed out for the Pistons to win it all.

Not Rasheed’s, or Stuckey’s, or Rip’s, or Amir’s, or A.I.’s, but Tay’s.

Experience usually trumps athleticism in sports, especially in basketball, as history has shown.

Remember the aging Spurs against young LeBron and the Cavs in ‘07?  Experience won.

The Bulls teams of the ’90s and Bill Russell’s Celtics back in the day?  Experience won.

The Pistons’ consistency every year in the postseason?  Experience won (at least until the Conference Finals).

That’s why you go to Tay.  Stuckey is a great player and will be for a long time, but he’s only played in one Eastern Conference Finals.

A.I. is a proven scorer and still pound-for-pound the toughest player in the game at 33, maybe the toughest ever.  But he’s only been on one really good team in his career, and even then he needed to score a lot for the 01-02 Sixers to compete.  He has never been on a team this good and this deep, and although I’m glad he’s a Piston and think he’s the missing piece we need, he’s not the focal point.

With an aging Rasheed, a young Amir and Stuckey, a well-conditioned Rip who will continue to do what he does best and a new face in Iverson, Detroit needs to let Tay know that they want him to unleash the abilities that all of us have only been able to catch glimpses of in his great career.

Tay’s in his prime, and letting him blossom as a scorer now will give him the confidence to get it done in crunch time come Spring.  With A.I. continuing to adjust, it only makes sense for Detroit to rely on Tay in these lapses.

John and Deven, this has got to be the year the Pistons break out Tay.  Another Detroit championship depends on it.

Thanks for reading and God bless.  Keep up the good work on the show!

Sincerely,

Mike B.

Erie, Mi

www.pistonscast.com