Atlanta Hawks: Taurean Prince greatly expanding his shooting range

In his second season in the NBA, Atlanta Hawks forward Taurean Prince has evolved into a potent 3-point shooter.

On draft night two years ago, the Atlanta Hawks took a major gamble on Taurean Prince.

The 6’8″ forward was the 12th overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, but his stint with the franchise lasted just minutes, as the Hawks sent starting point guard Jeff Teague away in a three-team trade, landing Prince and igniting their rebuilding effort.

A year later, Atlanta has gutted its roster and has begun to rely heavily on Prince, playing him 62 more minutes than anyone else on the team 33 games into the 2017-18 season.

Prince has justified his extended playing time, as he is the only player on the team to start all 33 contests this season, more than doubling his scoring average from a year ago to 12.8 points to go along with 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals a game.

More importantly, Prince has rapidly developed into a long range shooting threat, the first step toward a potentially massive payday.

Among the most lucrative commodities in the NBA are the 3-and-D players capable of defending multiple positions while serving as a true threat on the perimeter.

Serving as a specialist in both categories has garnered massive payouts over the past few years. Take a look at some of the contracts 3-and-D players landed last summer.

Otto Porter Jr. signed a four-year, $107 million deal to stay with the Washington Wizards
Joe Ingles agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal to remain with the Utah Jazz
C.J. Miles landed a three-year, $25 million with the Toronto Raptors
Tony Snell inked a four-year, $46 million contract to continue on with the Milwaukee Bucks

Atlanta has already exercised its team option for the 2018-19 season on Prince and he has the potential to earn a substantial raise once he hits free agency.

Blessed with a 6’11” wingspan, Prince has recorded 33 steals, tied with Dennis Schroder for the second-most on the team, and has embraced his time as a power forward.

According to Basketball-Reference, Prince has spent 21 percent of his time on the floor at the power forward position, enabling him to showcase his skills as a shot-blocker.

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While Prince is still adapting to the league as a defender, his emergence as a perimeter shooter has been a revelation for the Hawks.

A year ago, the Atlanta Hawks ranked as the 20th best 3-point shooting team in the league, connecting 8.9 times a night at a 34.1 percent clip.

This year, even after the losses of Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, Tim Hardaway Jr., Mike Dunleavy and Thabo Sefolosha, the team is making 10.9 shots from 3-point range and converting 38.3 percent of its long range attempts.