And when you quote me, you misinterpret as often as not.   When I was speaking about Prince’s desires and no one else stepping up, I meant that the other players failing to shoot well and take care of the ball contributes to the team’s philosophy of running plays to get Prince shots.  If Ben Gordon had hit threes in Detroit like he did in Chicago, you can be sure that Prince and everyone else not named Monroe would have shot less.  When a player a team is counting on to score at high volume and efficiency plays horribly, it burdens the rest of the players by asking them to pick up the slack.    
Your Monroe, Monroe, Monroe rant is beyond childish.   It’s not Prince’s fault that coach Q didn’t run any plays for Monroe his whole rookie season and again, it’s not Prince’s fault that Monroe took as many shots as he apparently could last season since he frequently asked to have a blow.   I have little doubt that aside from foul trouble, Frank would have played Monroe 5-10 minutes more a game if he could have handled it and then we aren’t even having this conversation because Monroe would have taken a lot more shots on top of shooting a lot more free throws than Prince.   For someone who has been defending advanced stats so vigorously, why are you hanging so much on the fact that Prince led the team in shots last year when he clearly wasn’t the player shooting most often if you just use common sense?
 
The whole way you broke down my comments is so dishonest and employs something you’ve ascribed to me in the past so you are probably just projecting.   When I said it has been an open question as to who should shoot, I didn’t say anything about whether he should shoot more than Monroe.   A team needs to score around 90-100 points or more to win most games and any team is going to have to find multiple players to reach that mark.  The open question regards how the team is going to consistently do so and Prince, whether you think he should have shot 12.7 or his career average 11.2 shots a game, was an obvious player to go to try and get enough points to win games and was going to be a big part of the equation.   He shot 12.7 shots a game last year and shot 12.8 the season before and shot fairly poorly last season but had a great percentage the year before and even bested Dwight Howard to the lead the league in terms of shooting pct in the paint. 
It seems like your real arguments are to suggest that veterans can’t mesh well with young players and that Prince can’t or won’t accept fewer shots a game and see no support in your comments or history to substantiate those claims.    And I’m not putting arguments in your mouth but just trying to figure out what you are saying when you make points like, “he’s not a fit, simple as that” while speaking in those terms.  
It’s really funny actually…….you start of by saying that you are only making the argument that Maggette or Jerebko could be a better fit but you wind up frothing at the mouth and saying things like Prince can’t fit.   Well, I can’t even count the number of times that true basketball minds have said of Prince that he could fit well with any team.
 
 

Nope. Never once said he’s to blame. He’s just not a fit. There’s a difference. If this were a veteran team in need of a steady third or fourth option, he’d be the guy. For a young rebuilding team trying to develop a go-to player in Monroe, he’s not a fit. Simple as that.

“Prince shot less when there were players on the team who should have clearly shot the ball more.”

So Prince should shoot the ball more than Monroe? Explain how that makes any kind of reasonable sense.

“During the last few years, it has been an open question as to who should shoot the ball and Prince has had to step up as a veteran due to a vacuum.”

Uh … it’s not an open question. Monroe was clearly, clearly, clearly their best offensive player last season. There was no ‘open question’ about it.

Also, Stuckey should get more touches than Prince. When Stuckey gets touches, he draws fouls. When Prince gets touches, he shoots a lot of contested long 2s.

“The notion that it has been all about Prince’s desires ignores the facts because he has not been in a situation where no one else has been ready willing and able to step up.”

Monroe. Monroe. Monroe. He’s light years better offensively right now than Prince ever was.

“Of course he has not but he is nothing like a ball hog.”

I never used that word. But he is a ball-stopper, he over-dribbles a lot and he doesn’t create well for others for someone who does have the ball in his hands a lot. Label that whatever you will, but the evidence is right there on the game film.

If he were satisfied being a spot up shooter and guy who runs the floor, moves without the ball and settles in as a fourth option, I’d jump for joy to have him in the starting lineup. That hasn’t been the case for about four years, though. He dominates the ball. He’s not a great entry passer into the post (there are several instances on game film last year of him either missing Monroe in the post or delivering entry passes way too late). He bogs down the offense by over-dribbling. He settles for too many contested long 2s, which is the most awful shot in basketball.

The turnover thing … whatever. Rodney Stuckey doesn’t turn the ball over that much. Put the ball in his hands.

If the Tayshaun Prince who was a reliable fourth option on contending teams returns, I’d love to see that guy in this starting lineup. If he wants to play like the Tayshaun Prince who fancies himself the focal point of the offense? He’d be much better off the bench in that role.

Honestly, my issue isn’t whether or not he starts. My issue is he touches the ball way to damned much.

“I don’t get your argument at all that Maggette or Jerebko would be a better fit in the starting lineup.”

You don’t get my argument? It’s pretty straightforward. Jerebko runs the floor and cuts and gets offensive rebounds. The Stuckey/Knight tandem is much better in transition than in the halfcourt, they’re much better passers on the move and when other players are on the move and Jerebko compliments those skills better than Prince. I don’t think Jerebko is necessarily better than Prince. But I do damn sure think Jerebko on the court more with Stuckey, Knight and Monroe would help all of those players.

As for Maggette, if he’s healthy enough to handle a starter’s workload, imagine trying to guard he and Stuckey on the perimeter with as often as they get to the line? Having him and Stuckey in the game to start games would give the Pistons a good chance to put the other team in foul trouble early. Prince, who almost never gets to the line or draws contact, doesn’t give them that chance.

Am I saying necessarily that either guy should start over Prince? No. Am I saying you’re ridiculous to suggest that there is no one on the roster who could have a legit case to start over him? Yes, yes you are ridiculous.

“Prince has a lot of value that they don’t in terms of finding cutters as with the pet play he was running with Knight to get him alleyoops last year.”

I never said there weren’t things Prince doesn’t do well. He has skills he brings to the table. I’m just saying, again, that he doesn’t necessarily help the team more as a starter than he would as the first sub off the bench who plays a variety of roles.

“Also, Maggette had a much worse last couple of years than Prince.”

Have I not said ‘if healthy’ in like every Maggette-related comment I’ve made? If Maggette isn’t healthy, then he’s not in the discussion. If he is healthy and has a good camp, than he should get consideration to start.

Prince has had a fine career with the Pistons, but it’s fair to say he had a bad season last year, it’s fair to say he’s getting older and it’s fair to say the team could benefit by him playing a different role or having a lighter workload. None of those things are out of the question or attacking someone’s character or anything like that. 

Prince is all the things you say — smart, consistent, competent rotation player on any team in the league, etc. He’s also been moody, introverted (notice his media day quotes suggesting he’s still working on the ‘leadership’ thing) and when all of his teammates were working out together in Detroit during the summer, he was working out at home.

None of that makes him a bad person or teammate, of course, but your efforts to turn any player who wears a Pistons jersey into a saint are about the most annoying thing about reading the comments section.

But Tay did led us in FGA to produce poor numbers with MAJOR MINUTES!!