The Lakers knew how important winning Saturday’s matinee was. A victory would not only give them their fourth straight win and ninth victory in 10 games, but it would also put them in eighth place in the Western Conference, a position they haven’t held since Dec. 29.
The job’s not finished, but the Lakers got it done on Saturday, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-97.
The victory was possible thanks to D’Angelo Russell’s six 3-pointers, Anthony Davis’ six blocks, and LeBron James’ double-double. However, a name every fan should mention after this win is Taurean Prince.
Prince Island is not a place Lakers fans tend to visit.
I used to frequent it often, especially during the preseason when it seemed starting him was a good idea. Quickly, people evacuated the destination and dreams of a high-impact defensive specialist with a good 3-point shot evaporated.
Instead, fans have begged and pleaded for less and less Prince usage.
Eventually, head coach Darvin Ham began scaling back Prince’s time. On Feb. 23, he removed him from the starting lineup and since then, his minutes have shrunk from 30.1 to 19.7 per game.
He’s stayed relatively effective stat-wise, still averaging 3.0 rebounds. His assist numbers have only dropped by 0.5, while his points have dipped by just 2.1.
At every opportunity, Ham praises Prince. In fact, he wasn’t moved during the trade deadline, partially because of Ham’s desire to keep him.
The question is, why? What is Prince giving you that is irreplaceable?
On Saturday, we saw it in one of the biggest games of the year.
Prince was everywhere defending the perimeter and keeping up with anyone who dared to drive to the paint, giving the Lakers another dynamic rim protector.
In the first half, he was literally perfect from the field, going 4-4 and was responsible for all 11 points from the Lakers bench.
Most of his points came from beyond the arc, hitting three from downtown, reminding everyone watching just how good he can be when the jumper is falling.
