Prince expects ‘a good season’

LAS VEGAS — Taurean Prince wants to win.

The current or future composition of the Hawks’ roster doesn’t change his attitude.

The second-year forward was vehement when asked if next season could be difficult considering the transformation of the team.

“No, no, no,” Prince said. “I disagree. I don’t like to go off the rebuilding word,

because I like to win. I love to win. Anybody who is on the team, I’m going to make sure that they love to win too. I don’t expect to have a bad season next year. I expect to have a good season.”

Prince, a first-round pick last year from Baylor, went from playing sparingly during the season to starting during the playoffs. Prince and Dennis Schroder are the only starters remaining from the lineup the Hawks used in the first-round series against

the Wizards. Gone are Tim Hardaway Jr., Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard.

Prince, part of the young core the Hawks are building around while compiling future draft picks, joins Schroder, Kent Bazemore, Mike Muscala, Malcolm Delaney, DeAndre Bembry and this year’s first-round pick, John Collins, as a nucleus. Prince is a central figure.

“All I can do is continue to work on my game, prepare myself for whatever

the coaches ask me to do,” Prince said. “We really don’t know what the team will look like until two months from now.

“That’s why we kept a lot of the young guys and we brought a lot of young guys in. Just have to take it for what it is. Gather together and get better together.”

Prince, as may be expected after his rookie season, has been steady with the Hawks’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League even though his shot hasn’t fallen. He is averaging 11.6 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists while making 12 of 39 shots.

Prince said he has used the time to work on his game and leadership skills. Both will be needed next season.

“I’m working on my ball-handling, decision-making, just being a better pickand-roll player,” Prince said. “Just putting myself in a lot of uncomfortable positions so I can be more comfortable as time goes on.”

Prince said he was unhappy with his performance in Game 1, admitting he tried to do too much, and was better in Game 2 with his defense and play-making.

“Kid that wants to be really good,” said Hawks assistant Charles Lee, who is coaching the summer league team. “He cares. There is a serious care factor and sometimes you see that when he tries to do too much. It’s coming from a great place. It’s not him being selfish at all.

“I’ve seen him grow in terms of picking his spots a little bit better and being able to take over in pick-androll situations too. I think a lot of times last year, he was playing off the ball. Now, he’s expanding his package to be a secondary ball-handler. That will be very nice for us.” Prince has no personal goals for next season, not yet.

“I don’t write my personal goals down until the beginning of the season,” Prince said. “Right now, I’m just trying to focus on being a better player and being a better teammate, picking up my leadership skills and doing those little things. If I do those things right, my goals will be easy to accomplish.”