- LARRY KUZNIEWSKI
- Tayshaun Prince defends the pick-and-roll in his Grizzlies’ debut.
A new era of Memphis Grizzlies basketball dawned last weekend when the team played its first home game without Rudy Gay on the roster since spring of 2006. Gay leaves having played more games in a Grizzlies uniform than anyone in franchise history and while there are many angles — both short- and long-term — to the trade that sent Gay out of Memphis, the simple starting-lineup swap of Gay for veteran small forward Tayshaun Prince will have the most immediate impact.
The contrast, at least stylistically, could be dramatic, on both ends of the floor.
Gay, at 26, is one of the NBA’s great athletes. But, while he’s always been productive, Gay’s combination of dribble-blindness, on-and-off motor, and erratic outside shooting and defensive focus has — to this point, at least — prevented him from reaching the all-star level for which he’s long seemed destined.
Prince, who will turn 33 later this month, is a 10-year vet on the back end of what’s been a fairly illustrious career for lifetime role player.
Physically, Prince is both longer and lighter, a slender 6’9” with one of the NBA’s most eye-popping wingspans. Where Gay’s game is predicated on leveraging his athletic advantages, Prince’s game is all about the combination of length and savvy.
Prince’s wingspan allows him to play well off shooters to deny drives and yet still contest jump shots. It allows him to handle the ball on the block while keeping it away from the prying hands of post defenders. It allows him to shoot over opponents, especially in the paint, even without Gay’s ability to jump over them.
