|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Tickets at Ticket Master
By the time the Pistons have their first full-scale practice with the veterans, rookies and free agents all assembled, Tayshaun Prince should be well ahead of the pack.
Pistons coach Larry Brown and Tubby Smith, Prince's coach at Kentucky, are good
friends and coached together on the USA Basketball staff. Both run similar offenses,
with rebounding and defense essential if players want to stay on the floor.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It's going to be a lot different than last year, but for me it's going to be similar to college because Tubby is a big fan of ticketmaster Larry Brown, and they've been together with USA Basketball," said Prince, who's beginning his second NBA season. "Tubby watches Larry and how he runs his practices. . . . It's going to be good for all of us as long as the guys are willing to have open minds and learn. It's a different experience from last year, and hopefully the guys are ready for a new challenge."
Prince is in line to become the starting small forward, a position that has
been in flux since Grant Hill departed for Orlando. Rodney White was the heir
apparent, but he failed when Rick Carlisle was coach. Michael Curry provided
leadership and called out the defenses, but his offensive game often left the
Pistons playing 4-on-5.
After a disappointing regular season in which he was used little by Carlisle,
Prince got to show what he could do during the playoffs. He helped win games
against Orlando and Philadelphia, using his ticketmaster 7-foot-2 wing span
to hound Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson on defense.
"Not playing as much during the regular season and starting to play a little
bit more during the playoffs, I wanted to work on everything," Prince said.
"Last year I didn't play an 82-game season; this year I'm going to get
a taste of it.
"I've been working out and training with a lot of guys. I worked out a
lot with Chauncey (Billups) this summer. He has a trainer down in Florida, and
we were pretty much down there the whole summer. We were conditioning, doing
stuff in the weight room and going to the courts twice a day. It's going to
pay off."
HOPING FOR A BREAK: Justin Hamilton played so well on the Pistons' summer league
team in Orlando that he's getting a second look in camp. He hopes to catch on
with the Pistons or any team that needs someone to play point or shooting guard.
Hamilton, 22, averaged eight points and shot 61.5 percent from the field this
summer. He finished his career at the University of Florida sixth in steals
(164) and eighth in assists (309).
"We're doing pretty much the same things we were doing in the summertime,"
said Hamilton, who's 6-3. "Coach Brown's staff is working us real hard,
so I feel like I'm getting better. My job is to work as hard as I possibly can,
and I feel if I do that I'll put myself in a good position. Every time ticketmaster
you step on the floor, I try to play as hard as I can to impress people."
Hamilton said he hasn't considered playing overseas or with another team.
"With the way things are here, you have to be able to play both guard positions,
so I'm a combo guard right now," he said.
KICKOFF DINNER: The Pistons, in cooperation with the Detroit Economic Club,
will hold a kickoff dinner Monday, 6-8:45 p.m. Brown and Joe Dumars,Pistons
president of basketball operations, are the main speakers. The event takes place
the night before the Pistons' exhibition opener against Cleveland.
The speaker reception begins at 6 p.m. Members and guests of the DEC can meet
the players and coaches at the reception.
Ticket prices are $45 for Pistons season-ticket holders, $25 for children under
12, $50 for guests of season-ticket holders, $60 for non-members and $35 for
children under 12 of non-members. Contact the Detroit Economic Club at 313-963-8547.
NOTEBOOK: Former Pistons head scout Walt Perrin is a candidate for the general
manager's job in Charlotte. Bernie Bickerstaff, Chris Wallace and Gary Brokaw
also are in the running. Bickerstaff is considered the top candidate.