Empty the Bench

Now Hedo Turkoglu is finding out.

Now Turkoglu is faced with overcoming the long, lanky guy known around Detroit as the Palace Prince. And that’s not been such an easy task in playoffs past and now playoffs present.

With his Pistons now taking a 2-0 lead back to Orlando for Game 3 tomorrow night, Tayshaun Prince has quietly asserted himself yet again in the postseason—like he has more often than not during his career—by locking down whomever he defends 90% of the time while also playing at or near the top of his game on offense, too. By harassing Turkoglu into bad, rushed shots—like the head-scratching triple he clanged off the backboard last night with less than a minute to play and his Magic down by two—and by making Turk work on defense after he’s already been frustrated at the other end.

Tayshaun Prince Photo Credit: Icon SMI

After helping limit Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala to just 33% shooting from the field in Round 1, Prince is clearly having a similar affect in Round 2. Through the series’ first two games, Turkoglu, who was recently named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, is averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 47% FG, and 5 turnovers. Those first four stats are all actually hovering right around his regular-season averages (except for points, which is about 4 less), but the key stat is the 5 turnovers, a full 2 more than the 3/per he averaged this season.

Though the 6-10 Turkish-born forward is still contributing, he’s looked all kinds of out of sorts so far. He’s bobbling the ball and losing it out of bounds, forcing passes into the post when there’s not much there, and working hard for most every single shot. And just as importantly, he’s yet to elevate his game, something the Magic need him to do for them to have a chance.

That’s what Tayshaun Prince does.

Meanwhile, Prince’s offensive efficiency from Round 1 is carrying over. After another solid night from the field on Monday (8-13 for 61.5%), he’s now averaging 60% FG and 15 points/per for the entire playoffs. When his team has endured an extended drought of made baskets, more often than not they’ve turned to Prince for help ending it. And like most gifted scorers, Prince is so successful because he can put the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways: backing his man down into the post and finishing with a sweet pivot and hook shot, taking his man off the dribble and driving to the hole, and sinking midrange jumpers as well as three-point shots.

All of this and he still gets very little fanfare because of the bigger, more vocal personalities that surround him on the Detroit Pistons. On most nights, however, the quiet, unassuming Tayshaun Prince is doing all the little things that help his team win playoff games. That’s what he does.

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