Many NBA fans and experts have compared new Atlanta Hawks forward, Taurean Prince to former Hawk, Demarre Carroll. Here’s why Prince could be so much more than that.
When the Atlanta Hawks traded point guard Jeff Teague for the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft, many fans were intrigued about what new name the team would target with the pick. Instead of a new name, they heard one called that had been tied to the Hawks throughout the draft process.
Baylor forward, Taurean Prince had a tough, rugged play style that was a natural fit for the Hawks, who were in need of that toughness after losing Demarre Carroll to Toronto. But while many saw Prince as a low-ceiling, NBA-ready replacement for Carroll, his athletic upside and potential as a shot creator make him a potential All-Star.
During his senior season at Baylor, Prince broke out to become one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference. He averaged career highs of 15.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, while also being a solid 3-point shooter at 36 percent. He went from being a second-round draft prospect to being a lottery pick in this year’s draft and may be in the perfect situation to succeed.
The Hawks have developed a reputation as an organization who can revive careers and maximize a player’s talent, and they did exactly that with Demarre Carroll. Carroll was tabbed as an effort player who could maybe carve out a role as a solid bench player. But with Atlanta, Carroll showed that he is a very valuable 3-and-D player in today’s NBA. In his last season with the Hawks, Carroll averaged 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and shot 39 percent from 3-point range, while providing great defense and energy.
If the Hawks did this with Carroll, imagine what they can do with a tremendous athletic talent like Prince. At 6-8 and 220 pounds, Prince has the size to play either forward spot and could be an elite level small-ball power forward with his athleticism. His career average of 38 percent from three is very good and the Hawks have had success is only polishing their own players’ jump shots. If he can continue to stretch the floor with his size and quickness, him being the next Demarre Carroll is his NBA floor.
Offensively, Prince can do much more than knock down the open three. Prince is a ruthless finisher at the rim and uses his exceptional leaping ability to finish strong inside. Prince also uses his solid, and improving, ball handling to drive to the basket and is a smart passer when the lane clogs up. The team clearly sees potential for his handle, as they experimented with Prince in a point forward role during the NBA Summer League. This handle can already get Prince to the rim at a good rate, but with improvements it could give him spacing for a pull-up jumper, as well.
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On the defensive end, some scouts question Prince’s ability to adapt due to playing in an odd zone scheme at Baylor. But, Prince has the athletic tools to potentially guard any position from the two to the four. Carroll and Prince project similarly on this end, with Prince’s quickness and instincts maybe allowing him to be more of a terror and get more steals. Also, Atlanta can help patch up the team’s rebounding woes with Prince, as he uses his great leaping ability to rebound well for his position.
Now, does Prince sound like he doesn’t have an NBA ceiling? Does he sound like he is a replica of Carroll? Carroll is a fine NBA player and was terrific for the Hawks. But Prince just feels like a different kind of beast with his ruthlessness at the rim and in the open floor, his developing ball handle, and exceptional athleticism. At this age, Prince feels like a prospect that another team was grooming into something special. A team that the Hawks have molded their franchise after, the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, Prince’s NBA floor is Demarre Carroll. But his ceiling just may be that of Kawhi Leonard. It will take some polish, but don’t be shocked when we see Taurean Prince as an NBA All-Star.