Atlanta Hawks’ sophomore small forward Taurean Prince had a less than stellar opening preseason performance against the Miami Heat, but the next opponent on the Hawks’ schedule might turn his luck.
Although they fell 96-90 on Sunday, several Hawks put in very promising performances and graced fans with a highlight reel full of well-worked plays, good team chemistry, and a ferocious foray of dunks. Unfortunately, Taurean Prince couldn’t buy his way into the action as he struggled in his first action since the Las Vegas Summer League.
Given the nod to the small forward spot in Coach Bud’s starting 5, Prince was unable to shine, posting only 3 points on 1/6 shooting and 4 rebounds in a shade under 22 minutes. Nonetheless, it would be remiss to judge Prince on only one performance straight out of the offseason.
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Instead of dwelling on the past, he should look forward to the Hawks next trip to Cleveland to face LeBron James and company on Oct. 4. Prince will hopefully get to match up against King James, one of the associations very best. Budenholzer will definitely want to see more of the second-year man as there are high hopes for him to completely lock down the 3 spot as the Hawks move forward.
In many ways, matching up against LeBron James is a rite of passage for many players, as they are tasked with stopping an unstoppable force and then going on the offensive end and trying to match his output with efficient play. It’s no easy task, but Prince didn’t choose the easy way out. This is a player who wants to prove himself, and the stage is set this season.
Prince has all the tools necessary to mature into a complete wing, all he needs is a little bit nurturing and maybe even some tough love to get him over the hill. He is an integral part of the Hawks core moving forward alongside Dennis Schroder and DeAndre’ Bembry.
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So, make sure to tune into NBATV on Oct. 4 at 7:00pm EST, as the Atlanta Hawks tip off against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena. Fans will get another great look at cornerstone player Taurean Prince and will hope that he is able to live up to the well-deserved hype.