2016 Houston Rockets Draft Prospect Series: Taurean Prince

Continuing the Space City Scoop Draft Prospect Series for the Houston Rockets another intriguing player is Taurean Prince.

Draft Prospect:

Specifics:

Height: 6’8 “
Weight: 220 lbs
Country: USA, San Antonio, Texas
Position: Small Forward
Age: 21 years (turns 22 in August)
Reach: 8’6″
Wingspan: 6’11.5″
College or Pro League: Baylor, Senior
Stat line: 33 Games, 16 Points Per Game, 6 Rebounds Per Game, 2.3 Assists Per Game

Current Rank:

ESPN Chad Ford: 34

Draft Express: 21

NBA Scott Howard Cooper: 25

Bleacher Report: 25

The Skills:

Taurean Prince plays above the rim, is fluid, a decent athlete and has a body ready made for the pro level.

As far as his shooting he’s got a decent stroke connecting on 38% of his college three pointers. His work ethic has allowed his game to grow as he’s added versatility

His other major attribute is his defensive versatility which offers the potential to guard deep in the post and quickness to defend stretch fours as well.

Weaknesses:

By far the area Prince needs to work on is his ball handling skills which in the pros could lead to a high turn over rate.

Additionally as good as he’s been offensively but his tool box needs work especially in terms of creating his own shot.

The key for Prince will be landing on a team with a coach who’ll keep his role extremely defined and give him a specific set of items to work on over the summer.

Landing on a team like Boston would be awesome for him as Stevens would be the perfect coach for him whereas playing on a team like Philly could find him regressing since it will likely lead to him forcing the issue. Another team who might target him would be the Raptors with their second pick at 27.

Honors and Awards:

As per Wikipedia:

Jordan Brand Classic All-American (2015)
Nike Hoop Summit (2015)
First-team Parade All-American (2015)

The Fit:

More from Space City Scoop

It’s unlikely Daryl Morey would trade up for Prince. He’ll be able to contribute immediately and should be a valuable reserve player for years to come.

That said, he doesn’t fit the type of player D’Antoni or Morey will target.

Given his NBA readiness he’ll likely remain as a pick in the late first round or early second round.

It’s most likely teams who are looking to add bench depth and won’t need Prince to do more than a defined role will target him as someone who can immediately contribute. He’ll be a perfect fit on a team with a solid core, veteran leadership and strong identity as he is a high character player and given his work ethic if you surround him with the proper roster his growth should be steady.

Next: Draft Prospect Guerschon Yabusele

Next: Draft Prospect Chinanu Onuaku

Next: Draft Prospect Demetrius Jackson

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