Greatest unsung hero in every NBA team’s history

Detroit Pistons: Tayshaun Prince

I wanted to put the entire 2003-04 Detroit Pistons team that upset that star-laden Los Angeles Lakers team to win the NBA title here. That being said, it would feel a little cheap to simply put a bunch of teams on here in lieu of recognizing individuals who stood out during certain time periods.

So in that spirit, let’s take a look at one of the key components of that borderline-Cinderella team in forward Tayshaun Prince. He never made an All-Star team, but he represented the gritty nature that defined those mid-2000s Detroit clubs.

In many ways, Prince would fit perfectly in today’s NBA. His athleticism, 7-foot-2 wingspan, proficiency from 3-point range (37.1 percent as a Piston) and his ability to occasionally create his own shot would make him the ideal 3-and-D wing. He could defend almost every position on the floor and create spacing for the star players. See for yourself if you don’t believe me.

Among other factors, including workhorse center Ben Wallace’s emergence, Prince’s efforts greatly contributed to some stellar Pistons defenses. In his first five seasons as a starter, Detroit ranked no lower than seventh in points allowed per 100 possessions.

Of course, those rankings tapered off as those Pistons teams got worse. By that time, the number of games played in the regular season and the postseason extracted much of what made much such a solid two-way player.

He went six consecutive seasons (2003-09) having played in all 82 games and was one of the final holdovers from that championship team before the Pistons traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013.