Error processing SSI filePistons: Notebook
Prince slowed by sore legs
A change of shoes, physical treatment should help forward return to form.
Tayshaun Prince has worn a brace to protect his sore left knee, but he expects to be running at full strength.Pistons extras
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AUBURN HILLS -- Tayshaun Prince got married in the middle of September, spent a couple of weeks honeymooning with his bride, Farah, in Tahiti. Then, before he could get to unwrapping all the wedding gifts, he had to report to training camp.
All the while, he was keeping tabs on the negotiations between his agent, Bill Duffy, and Pistons president Joe Dumars, who remain busy trying to hammer out a five-year extension.
So, if Prince has seemed somewhat distracted thus far in the preseason, it would be understandable, if not completely excusable.
Except that the wedding, honeymoon and contract issues have nothing to do with his slow start.
"I've been having knee problems during the course of two-a-days," Prince said Monday, after practicing with a bandaged left knee and lower leg. "Since the two-a-days have been over, it really hasn't recovered. That's the only issue I've been having."
He has hardly looked like himself in the three exhibition games, Prince is averaging 6.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in just over 22 minutes per game. He is shooting just 38 percent and he has missed all four of his three-point attempts.
"He's been the one guy that we've had who has been sore-legged," coach Flip Saunders said. "But I think he's coming out of it some now. I think he's a guy who is going to start finding his form over the last four or five exhibition games."
Prince adamantly denies that any of his focus has been diverted by nuptials or negotiations.
"Obviously, getting married was a big step," Prince said. "But when you marry the one you know you are supposed to be with, when you know she's the right one for you, then there is nothing to worry about. There is no problem there."
As for the contract negotiations, Prince said he focused on that a lot earlier in the summer, but has since let Duffy worry about it.
"It's the knee that's slowing me down," he said. "But I don't want to sit out because it doesn't really affect my running. It just bothers me when I try to make certain cuts. I want to try and continue to play and stay in good shape, and at the same time, keep up the treatments before and after practice."
Pistons physical therapist Arnie Kander has advised Prince to change his shoes, which he has done. He has gone back to wearing last year's model, and that seems to be helping. He even stayed after practice for an additional 20 minutes or so working on some shooting drills with Saunders.
Prince has played in 229 straight games with the Pistons counting the playoffs, and there are no plans to keep him out of the lineup in the exhibitions season, either.
Local flavor
There will be two very familiar faces on the Mavericks bench tonight, but only one will be in uniform. Former Pistons all-star Jerry Stackhouse will not play because of a sore right knee. But former Oakland University star Rawle Marshall should get some minutes. He has played in three of the Mavericks exhibitions, averaging three points and a rebound in 15 minutes.
By all accounts, Marshall will win a spot on the Mavericks roster, but is expected to spend a lot of time playing on its NBDL team in Fort Worth.
In the bonus
The news that former Piston Allan Houston retired Monday at age 34 was hardly unexpected. Houston's knee never responded after surgery. Nevertheless, the news still sent a minor tremor through the practice facility.
"It's just unbelievable for me to see Allan retire," said Dumars, who took Houston under his wing when the Pistons drafted him in 1993. "I just can't believe it's been that long since he and I were in the gym during the summers shooting hundreds of jumpers every day. Wow, time does fly by."
Houston left Detroit and signed with the Knicks in the summer of 1996.
... Don't look now, but guess who leads the league in blocks in the exhibition season -- none other than Darko Milicic, who has swatted away 12 shots in three games.
You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489 or chris.mccosky@detnews.com.
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