Tayshaun Prince returns to his Motor City kingdom

Tayhsaun Prince, or at least one of his fans, was extremely disappointed when Prince did not come out of the tunnel at Banker's Life Fieldhouse on Jan. 30. The life Prince knew for the last 10 years was going to change. He was leaving the Palace of Auburn Hills and all the great memories he had made there, including starting for a championship team in 2004 and a more than half-decade long run into the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pistons traded Prince to the Grizzlies on Jan. 30, receiving Jose Calderon in return and clearing up a ton of cap room in the process. 

Prince was the kind of player the Grizzlies wanted to add. He is a smart player with championship experience who does not need the ball to be effective and can fit into the offense. Rudy Gay was a great talent, but he struggled with the ball in his hands with all the players around him. He just could not bring the efficiency the team needed. And the Grizzlies needed to get under the luxury tax line to save some cash.

So far, Memphis is 4-2 since Prince joined the lineup. He is averaging 10.3 points per game and shooting 49.2 percent from the floor, well above his season average for field goal percentage. Prince has been rejuvenated playing with a winning team once again.

Prince knows tonight's game will be very different for him, as he tells Vince Ellis of Detroit Free Press:

'To be honest with you, it didn't feel different like I thought it would,' Prince said of arriving at the Palace this morning. 'The only thing that felt different was my first game in Memphis.

'When I ran out that tunnel, I was like, 'This doesn’t feel right.' I'm pretty sure it will feel different tonight.'

Prince has never had the experience of playing out of the visitor's locker room in Detroit. This will be a happy homecoming for him however. Surely, the Detroit fans will show their appreciation for so many years of hard work for the team.

About Philip Rossman-Reich

Philip Rossman-Reich is the managing editor for Crossover Chronicles and Orlando Magic Daily. You can follow him on twitter @OMagicDaily

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