Tayshaun Prince Shows Long Term Value in Celtics’ Win over Jazz

Someway, somehow the Boston Celtics continue their shocking dominance of the western conference. I do not use the word shocking lightly as the Celtics have now won three out of four with the lone loss being against the Golden State Warriors by a measly three points. The Celtics win over the Utah Jazz marked their most lopsided victory in almost a month and it could have been by a much larger margin. The Celtics put together one of their best quarters of the season when they won the second 38-14.

Once again the Celtics continue to have their success because of contributions from all over the place. Four players all managed to score in double digits, another three put up nine points and with all players who saw at least 15 minutes of playing time contributed with at least 5 points, Stevens’ system is starting to pay off in a big way. The Celtics continue to play 10 players deep and with no one playing more than 30 minutes it is the fresh young legs that allow the Celtics to continue to play well despite having such a packed schedule.

While a lot of guys deserve credit for the Celtics win over the Jazz one man stood above the rest and it came from one of the most unexpected players. When Tayshaun Prince found himself on the Celtics many thought the Celtics would either dump his salary or attempt to deal him away. It is never safe to say that a player will not be getting traded on the Celtics. That being said, Prince’s impact cannot be ignored and it is definitely time to start considering him a long term fixture on the Celtics.

Prince did not start the game but all that did was ensure he was ready to play during the most crucial moments. With Prince playing down the stretch it is clear that Brad Stevens already trusts him in clutch situations. Prince ended up playing a team high 30 minutes and was more efficient that anyone would have expected scoring 19 points on 7-10 shooting. Throw in his five assists and Prince was the most effective player on the offensive side of the ball.

Despite being a recent addition Prince is fitting into Brad Stevens’ system perfectly. Prince has already proven that he can be an effective shooter. No one is expecting Prince to create his own shots and take over the game on the offensive side. Fortunately, that is not the kind of player the Celtics are looking for in him. Prince can fit anywhere in the rotation and with the incredible ball movement Prince is getting open shots and is hitting his shots well enough to make a substantial impact. The Celtics need players that they can trust on the offensive side of the ball and Prince fits that bill.

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Prince is not the kind of player that will start jacking up all kinds of unnecessary shots that will disrupt the flow of the offense. Prince appears to understand his role on this offense and without any one go to player it is the kind of offense that he can flourish in.

Prince’s presence on the court was also the most important aspect of the Celtics’ game. When the Jazz went on their incredible third quarter run Prince managed to score key baskets to ensure that the Jazz never ran away from the game. Prince was a team high +16 on the game.

More important than securing the win, Prince has proven to the Celtics that they can trust him. The Celtics need to improve defensively and Prince will not be a liability on that side of the court. The Celtics also need to maintain and improve what is turning into one of the more exciting offenses in the league and with Prince understanding his role perfectly he can continually have an impact on the game.

There’s no telling what the Celtics will look like come season’s end. That being said, Prince has already exceeded expectations and he will only lead to good things for the Celtics. Either Prince will be a part of the rebuilding process for the Celtics, or his improved play will draw in a bigger trade haul than originally thought possible. Either way, the Celtics are beginning to see some of the benefits of Danny Ainge‘s strategy as with the flurry of trade activity cooling down the Celtics are settling in and playing their best basketball of the season.