Brooklyn Nets: 3 players with most to prove at NBA Disney

Taurean Prince

Taurean Prince has averaged 12.1 points per game this season, and is a 6’7″ forward that can play both the small and power forward positions and has been billed as your prototypical 3-and-D guy.

On the season, Prince has made 34 percent of his three-point attempts and is shooting at a respectable 35.8 clip on the catch-and-shoot from downtown.

On the surface of things, Prince looks like he’s having a pretty solid season. However, there are some pretty big concerns when you look deeper into his numbers.

Since the beginning of February, Prince only made 27.8 percent of his three-pointers, and on the catch-and-shoot, he only drilled 28.8 percent of those shot attempts. That was a 17-game stretch, so seeing those numbers paints a picture that he may not be able to handle the rigors of a full regular-season.

On defense, his numbers don’t paint a picture as a very effective defender either. When he’s guarding someone in isolation, he gives up 1.00 points per possession, which puts him at the 33rd percentile. That’s a mediocre mark at best, and given his frame, he’s definitely more than capable of becoming a lockdown defender in isolation.

In guarding the pick-and-roll, he’s basically no help at all, as he ranks in the 14th percentile when it comes to guarding the primary ball-handler, and in the 0.4th percentile when guarding the roll man. Yikes.

To be somewhat fair, he’s been playing out of position all year at the power forward spot, so it might not be fair to fully judge his defensive efforts, but he should definitely prove to be more than capable of knocking down his three-pointers at a higher clip.

Hopefully, some time off will rejuvenate Prince, and help him prove that he’s worth the contract the Nets gave him and ultimately becomes the two-way player the Nets will need next season.