The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Prince is built for solid NBA start
First-round draft pick already earning raves for versatility, maturity.
ATHENS — Talk to Hawks coaches and management about rookie Taurean Prince and they immediately comment about his NBAready body. What does that really mean? “Somebody who can guard multiple positions and not get punked on any level of the floor, offense or defense,” said the 6-foot-7, 225-pound first-round draft pick.
The Hawks selected Prince, via a trade with the Jazz, with the 12th overall pick of this year’s NBA draft. The 22-year-old spent four seasons at Baylor, where he blossomed into a versatile wing who fits the Hawks’ systems on both ends of the court.
After just two days of an NBA training camp, Prince has continued to show the promise the Hawks saw on draft night, during the Las Vegas Summer League and in recent voluntary workouts.
“He continues to be impressive for a young player,” coach Mike Budenholzer said after Wednesday morning’s practice at the University of Georgia. “Just his maturity from a physical standpoint, his size and strength really help. He’s learning well. The competitiveness of this camp plays to him well.”
Budenholzer noted last week that the addition of Prince, along with center Dwight Howard and a starting role for point guard Dennis Schroder, gives the Hawks’ defense a more physical and competitive identity.
Prince joined the Hawks late in summer league while the final details of the trade, including player physicals, were completed.
He said in the months he’s been on the court with his new teammates, the physical adjustment has been minor. The mental side of the game and familiarity with the system, especially the floor spacing, of the NBA have been the biggest differences.
“To me, the speed is kind of the same,” Prince said. “The more noticeable change is the spacing. In college, you can stay in the paint all night long if you want to. Now, you have prolific players and there is no (weakness in the game) of who you are playing with. Guys have to stay with their guys and can’t help as much, which opens things up for other people.”
Budenholzer agreed that floor spacing is one of the greatest adjustments for young players, especially a versatile player such at Prince. He is working this week on recognizing when to slash to the basket and when to give teammates room to operate.
A big part of the training camp experience has been the ability to learn from a mistake and quickly move on. Prince said Hawks veterans have worked with him, on and off the court, to help him adjust to the professional game and learn the nuances of the system.
“To be honest, I think I have progressed a lot more mentally than anything,” Prince said. “Just being able to shake off the mistakes, because they are going to happen. That’s the nature of the game, being able to shake off the mistakes, move on to the next thing and not let one mistake lead to two.
“Also, I just want to fall in love with the process, fall in love with getting better, fall in love with being coachable, fall in love with receiving constructive criticism. Just being a sponge, taking everything in, good or bad, and turning it into a positive.”
The Hawks have a great deal of depth at wing with Kyle Korver, Kent Bazemore, Thabo Sefolosha and Tim Hardaway Jr. To that mix they have added Malcolm Delaney, first-round pick DeAndre Bembry and Prince.
It has made for a competitive camp, and the battle figures to continue through the exhibition and into regular-season games to establish a rotation.
This much is clear: Prince is making his case.
‘To me, the speed is kind of the same. The more noticeable change is the spacing. In college, you can stay in the paint all night long if you want to.’ Taurean Prince Hawks rookie