Some of it comes down to the simple matter of Prince not being able to get his shot up quickly enough. Eighty-four mid-range shots for a team with two low-post presences is troubling spacing.
Forget the percentages (which are still alarming). Meanwhile, he shot 27-of-84 from mid-range. He's a savvy veteran who knows how to play, won't break assignments and won't try and do too much offensively.īut Prince shot a combined 2-of-11 on corner 3s in the playoffs the past two years, and 4-of-11 from the wing. Prince needed to be a defensive plus and able to knock down catch-and-shoot corner 3s. It wasn't about what the players they were getting back could do, it's about what the trade allowed their other players to do. That's what that trade accomplished, and it's a huge part of why Memphis made a run to the Western Conference Finals. They needed to find a lower usage player so that they could get the ball to Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol more, and empower Mike Conley more. But Memphis wasn't looking to get equal return. In getting Prince, Ed Davis (now with the Lakers) and Austin Daye, they didn't, clearly, whether at the time or in hindsight. What gets lost in that deal was that it was assumed Memphis had to get equal return for Gay's value. Prince was acquired in the Grizzlies' trade of Rudy Gay two years ago.
