Future unclear for Pistons veterans

Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace are used to being in the thick of things come the postseason.

But, minutes after what could be their last game together with the Pistons, Prince wondered aloud about how he, Wallace and Richard Hamilton would be remembered.

Advertisement

"When guys leave on top, it's a different scenario," said Prince, who is an unrestricted free agent, while Wallace could retire and Hamilton is likely to be traded.

"A scenario like this, where things are on a downturn, I don't know how people will perceive us."

The usually stoic Prince hopes fans won't allow the bad taste of this season, where the internal drama was matched only by losing 52 games, to sully the good memories of the past eight seasons.

The Pistons were consistent contenders for the title during their time together, reaching the Eastern Conference finals six consecutive seasons. The group went to two NBA Finals, winning in 2004.

"If you look at things in a positive light, and you're in six straight Eastern Conference finals, then you're not there anymore, then people will appreciate that," Prince said. "You'll have fans who say, if I'm not back, 'We really love what Tayshaun did for us.'"

Prince understands, though, the last image is sometimes the one that sticks out the most, and this year wasn't pretty.