Human Victory Cigar

Tayshaun Prince vs. Luol Deng.

 

From a series of fan previews and matchup analysis from the members at Pistonsforum.com

Max

Deng. He is very fast and very strong. Could be playing PF for many clubs. Prince will be tested here.

Advantage: Chicago

 

TaShawn

This one is the most interesting to me. Both players can be x-factors for their teams at times because of their uniqueness. However, when they are going against each other, those mismatches they exploit are gone. They are similar body types. However, Deng has more of an aggressive mentality and looks to score more.

Offense-
Again, like the other positions, Deng has an eFG advantage over Prince. And also like the others, Prince takes care of the ball better. Those pretty much cancel out.

Defense-
Prince has the reputation, but I can’t say for sure. One huge advantage that Deng has in this department is that he steals the ball twice as often as Prince. Prince chips away in other departments though, as he fouls slightly less, blocks a few more shots, and guards better players. In this case, there is no need for him to guard anyone but Deng. Slight edge to Prince in theory.

Advantage: Push

 

Jammertime

Deng shot 51.7% from the field during the regular season while attempting 15 shots per game. That ain’t too shabby.

Luckily Deng isn’t a threat from behind the arc, going a whopping 1 for 7 for the YEAR, compared to Tay’s 81 for 210 (38.6%).

The rest of the stats are fairly even.

As with the CB vs. Hinrich match up, I’ll go with Tay’s experience as the deciding factor here. Prince is a seasoned playoff veteran while Deng is just getting his feet wet.

Advantage: Detroit

 

Dlev59

White hot Deng and “whenever you need me Tay”. I hope nobody is expecting for Tay to shut Deng down. It will take a team defensive effort to slow him. He can take you off the dribble, and shoot the 15 footer. He is also quicker than one may think. Tay needs to utilize his length and make Deng shoot jumpers. Deng`s first step is deceivingly quick, and once by someone he is an excellent finisher.

Tay can render Deng useless on the block if he and Flip so chooses. Deng would have no answer for Tay`s baby hook. Tay must also put a body on Deng and know where he is at all times. Prince will have to be at his best on both ends of the court. I look for Prince to use his long arms and play more in the paint during this series to be effective.

Advantage: Chicago

 

Linwood

Luol Deng has been playing like the Allstar that Tayshaun has yet to become. He’s bigger (slightly), faster (slightly), scores more, shoots better, and seems to have caught fire in the Miami series.

Tayshaun always seems to have one brilliant series in the playoffs. Hopefully, this is the one. Deng seems very intimidating, but so did McGrady, Bryant, and Miller.

I want to call this a push, but I can’t get past the fact that Deng went to Duke, and Prince went to Kentucky.

Advantage: Detroit

 

Cloudwalker

This is where the series may be won and lost in my opinion.

Tayshaun will get to prove whether all the defensive accolades are deserved, or if he is truly living off the hype of “the block” while riding shotgun on the coattails of WallaceX2 for the last few years.

There are plenty of things I truly believe Tayshaun could do if he were on a team that was more dependent on him, and I still have a vision of the player I ultimately feel Tayshaun could become.

Luol Deng however, seems to already be that player, at the ripe old age of 22.

I don’t expect Prince to match Deng’s output for this series, but I feel he needs to come as close to matching him as possible.

If he disappears while Deng dominates, this series could be over before it started.

Advantage: Chicago

 

Dumars4Ever

Deng eviscerated the Heat with 26 PPG on an incredible 58% from the floor, almost all on spot-up mid-range jumpers. It’s unlikely that he can stay that hot against the Pistons, although a look at his regular season shooting percentage (52%) adds some doubt to that assessment. Tay stepped up his game against Orlando, and he gives the Pistons a better match-up against Deng than anyone the Heat could throw at him. Deng also gives the Bulls major production on the boards, averaging 9 per game against Miami. It’s tough to say that the Pistons will have the edge against a guy who’s playing this well, so I’ll give this one to the Bulls, though I think Tay will make it competitive. He’ll certainly have to in order for the Pistons to win the series.

Advantage: Chicago

 

BillLaimbeer

I’m giving Deng the slight edge here because of the athleticism and the consistent numbers that he will put up. Prince cannot match the point totals simply because he is the 5th option in the Pistons offense. At some point in this series, Prince will make a play to single-handedly win a game. Again, the Pistons have more playoff experience at this position. Prince has played in 85 playoff games compared to 10 by Deng.

Advantage: Chicago

 

Himat

These 2 players are the major X-factors. One time Tay may do great, and another time Deng will do great. These 2 players are huge for both teams this series.

Advantage: Push

 

Dba

Deng was the best player on the floor for the Bulls against the Heat, with a productivity to minutes ratio 24% bet ter than during the regular season. And he also tore the Pistons up during the four game set this season - 22 points, 8 boards, 48% shooting.

Prince’s 14 and 6 on 38% shooting against the Bulls doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. But, Tay had a much better outing against the other Florida team and has the experience. He has to outrebound Deng and block out or it gets ugly.

Advantage: Push

 

The Low

If Prince holds true to his 2nd Team All-Defense recognition, this could be a very interesting series for both of these players. Both are long and athletic, and neither will quit on a play. While Deng is the more prolific of the two scorers, Prince is without a doubt a better defender than Deng. Prince’s defense should be enough to keep Deng from going berserk on the Pistons, however it doesn’t appear that Prince would be able to keep Luol completely off the score sheet. Prince should also be able to do his fair share of scoring as Deng will often commit quick fouls and take himself out of the game early.

Advantage: Push

 

Mercury

Length vs. length. Tayshaun has recently been very efficient inside and out.
Deng is more athletic with a quicker first step.
Tayshaun likes to utilize the floating hook shot. Deng likes the pull up jumper. He is also a solid finisher inside.
Deng does not shoot 3’s very often (low %).
Deng has had some big games against the Pistons this year.

Advantage Deng

Advantage: Chicago