Why Taurean Prince Will Have Instant Impact For The Hawks

A Presence Defensively

Especially in the NBA, every team must have a player that is able to lock down defensively at the wing position. When the Hawks lost DeMarre Carroll, they lost their only real elite defender, and it showed. Kent Bazemore tried to fill that void, but he is 6’5,” so when guys like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are the designated match-up, they would often take advantage immediately in the post.

Prince gives Atlanta that strong presence inside while also being able to keep his man in front of him away from the basket. He has also been known to be a pretty decent rim-protector especially in the open floor:

He also has a great knack for stepping up in the passing lane and starting a fast-break:

Defense in the NBA is entirely different then college. First and foremost, players dissect your weaknesses and have a plan to attack them the entire 48-minute span of a game. Another big difference is there is less of a help rotation on the backside because of the defensive three-second rule. In college, the big men can camp in the paint and wait for their opportunity to pin a shot against the glass. In the NBA, the three-second rule prohibits that, but that will be where Prince’s athleticism helps tremendously.

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