But the question had to be asked. What does he think of the maturation of Nicolas Batum? "He's one of my favorite guys in the league," said Prince without hesitation.
"No question. And I'm just not saying that because you asked me about him. I like guys who can do a little bit of everything."
Prince has heard the comparisons. He knows Batum's game has been compared to his and Scottie Pippen since the 6-8 small forward arrived in Portland three seasons ago from France. In that short time, Batum has gone from an unknown overseas prospect who struggled in his first Las Vegas Summer League back in 2008 to a main scoring option for Portland behind Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Prince has been keeping tabs along the way, even seeing visions of himself at times in Batum.
"Stars get credit in this league, but guys like him don't get enough. Guys like Marcus Camby don't get enough - guys who can do a little bit of everything and share the ball. They make the hustle plays at the right time," added Prince, who is now in his eighth year in the league with Detroit.
