Hawks vs. Bulls Highlights: Prince, Muscala Log Career-Highs

Sure, John Collins has been great in a limited role (as his Player Efficiency Rating of 19.1 would indicate) and Tyler Dorsey’s deadeye shooting remains an impressive precursor for his future, but it has been Prince who has shouldered a heavy burden on the offensive end for Atlanta.

Prince has rewarded the franchise with that faith by delivering career-highs on three separate occasions this season: He dropped 30 on the Raptors in December, 31 vs. the Celtics in February, and finally, his crowning achievement, a 38-point, 7-assist, 6-rebound masterclass against the Bulls on Sunday. That’s not even mentioning his game-winning three against the Phoenix Suns last Sunday.

TP was molten from distance, drilling 7 of 13 from deep (both career-highs) in 35 minutes. Prince was on another level against Chicago, and he was playing with a level of confidence heretofore unseen by the second-year player.

The Prince That Was Promised managed to log those 38 points on only 18 shooting possessions – mainly due to another career-high number: 9 of 10 from the free throw line.

Taurean was extremely aggressive driving to the basket, and with the Bulls similarly in full-on tank mode, they were offering only minor resistance to Prince as he sliced and diced his way to the rim.

When he wasn’t getting fouled, Prince showed stellar instincts by finding open shooters for threes or for roll man rumbling down the lane, such as Dewayne Dedmon in this example:

Prince was truly spectacular in this spot, and this was clearly his best game as a professional basketball player. If he can conjure up this same level of efficiency with less touches, then the Hawks might have a tremendous player on their hands for years to come.

Even if he can’t curtail his need to have the ball in his hands, that might play to Coach Mike Budenholzer’s strengths, and if the Hawks are able to land a bevy of young wings in the draft, Prince could prove to be a leader going forward for this team.