Detroit Free Press If Tayshaun Prince looks a little distracted this exhibition season, he has a good reason. Make that several good reasons. For starters, the Pistons' small forward awaits the completion of a contract extension that must come in the next two weeks, if it's to come at all. Because of NBA rules the fourth-year player has until Oct. 31 to sign a new deal. If he doesn't sign he will test the market as a restricted free agent next summer. What else is on his mind? Sore knees, for one thing. The two-a-day practices left Prince feeling pain that was just enough to slow him down and not enough to sideline him. And then there's his new status as a married man. Prince married his longtime girlfriend Farah in Detroit in September and came to training camp straight from his honeymoon in Tahiti. How's that for a full plate? But Prince, who is as understated as his game, said it's only his knees holding him back. And he might have found the solution to that problem. "(Team trainer) Arnie Kander told me to change my shoes," Prince said. "Once I did that, it got a lot better." In the team's first three exhibition games, Prince has shot just 38.1% and averaged 6.1 points. Those stats partially reflect the lower than normal minutes coach Flip Saunders has allotted the starters. But given that, they're a bit low for Prince. Saunders said he expects Prince to play better this week. The Pistons play three games in the next five nights, starting tonight against Dallas. "He's the one guy we've had who has been a little sore in the legs," Saunders said. As for the other issues, Prince said they're non-issues. Marriage might be a big life change for some, but it's no biggie for Prince. "When you marry the one you're supposed to be with, and you know that's the right one for you, there's nothing to worry about," he said. Source
tayshaun's looked a little better the past few games, so hopefully the pain's nearly gone. he's been (finally) hitting a few treys and attacking the rim vs. Miami.
