Tayshaun Prince isn't mincing words about the Detroit Piston's dismal start this season.
"From the jump ball, the energy hasn't been there," the forward said after a 96-82 drubbing by the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, The Detroit News reports. ""We have to do a better job of understanding what it takes to win."
Detroit is now 0-7 and back home. "It's not gonna get any easier," Prince adds, according to sportswriter Vincent Goodwill, who presents other reflections by the veteran player:
"I'm shocked. . . . Because we put so much work into camp and preseason. We went at each other so hard and things were getting better and better. And to regress now that we're playing is tough to swallow. . . .
"Guys are upset -- don't get me wrong -- and trying to figure things out. It's just that you have to dig down deep and find out what can you do to help our team."
Prince dishes more straight-up talk in the article by Goodwill, who notes:
He doesn't want to play the "back in the day" card but that's his experience of being on a successful team -- and a reason he re-signed was in part to impart that wisdom onto the next generation of Pistons.
For his part, The News' beat writer describes "the Pistons' pattern of being consistent only in being inconsistent thus far this season."
