Small forward Taurean Prince is giving the Cavaliers a reason to smile. Anyone who saw Prince’s behind-the-back pass to Andre Drummond in Wednesday’s win over the Pistons can understand.
It was a Larry Bird-esque flip from Prince to Drummond in traffic, Drummond finishing with a two-handed monster slam. That’s not something for which Prince became known during previous stops in Atlanta and Brooklyn.
But Prince is offering a lot of nice surprises, as the somewhat surprising Cavs (9-9) pay visit to the New York Knicks (8-11) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST.
“He fits the mold of what we’re looking for,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
Really? How so?
“We’re looking for guys who can play multiple positions, guys who have the ability to knock down shots and who have athleticism, who can run the floor, Bickerstaff said. “And then on the defensive end, guys who take 1-on-1 challenges and compete.”
Prince, 26, fits all those bills. And he has been fitting those bills plenty after what might be considered a “quieter” season in his previous stop.
He is getting a new chance with the Cavs, making the most of it and even playing some power forward to fill in for the injured Kevin Love (calf) and Larry Nance Jr. (wrist).
Prince is a lot like most of this year’s Cavs — coming to life just when it seemed everyone had sort of written him off.
Young center Jarrett Allen was the big prize in the trade with the Nets a couple weeks back. Prince came in that deal too, and has been every bit as valuable.
“They embraced me from Day One,” Prince of the Cavs. “It shows what type of player I am and how easy it is for me to adapt to any situation. Whatever I’m asked to do I feel like I have the capability and ability to do it.”
Prince is 6-foot-7 and averaged 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12 games with the Nets this. In five games with the Cavs, he is up to 12.1 points and 4.6 rebounds. But as Bickerstaff suggested, it’s not just about the numbers. Prince is proving to be what every team hopes for in a trade.
“I had the mindset of telling myself I was going to fit in,” he said. “Not many places I’ve been or teams I’ve been on or players I’ve played with that I haven’t fit in. I think it’s just about taking advantage of the opportunities, showing what I can do and trying to be the glue guy.”
So far, so good for both the Prince and the Cavs, and both deserve credit for making that the case.
