Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince has been known primarily as a defensive ace since his game-saving block of Reggie Miller’s layup during Game 2 of last year’s Eastern Conference finals. But if the Pistons are to successfully defend their NBA title, they will need Prince’s offense to carry them.

Prince has been something of an unusual player since his rookie season of 2002-03. Young players typically arrive with their offensive games mostly intact, then develop adequate defensive skills as they come up to speed in the pro game. Prince followed the opposite path into the Pistons’ starting lineup. He emerged from the University of Kentucky with nominal offensive skills, but, remarkably, was a premier perimeter defender from day one.

During the 2003 playoffs, the Pistons were on the verge of an embarrassing first-round loss to no. 8 seed Orlando when coach Rick Carlisle stuck Prince on super-scorer Tracy Mc-Grady. The rookie put the clamps on T-Mac, helping the Pistons rally to a series victory. During last year’s finals, he harassed Kobe Bryant for five games, forcing the Lakers’ guard into a miserable 38.1% shooting clip from the field.

Coming into Detroit’s current second-round series against the Indiana Pacers, Prince’s role seemed likely to involve shutting down Stephen Jackson, who led the Pacers in scoring during their first-round victory over Boston. Prince has done just that – Jackson is shooting a meager 35.5% from the field so far in the series. The Pistons’ 92-83 Game 2 loss on Wednesday night, however, made it clear that the team is also dependent on the forward’s offense.

The Pistons took a 50-40 lead into halftime, then proceeded to slip into a deep funk when the third quarter began. Initially, good shots didn’t fall, but as the Pacers closed the margin, Detroit tightened up and began bricking open looks and forcing shots.

Richard Hamilton, Detroit’s normally reliable sharpshooter, went 6-for-17; his backcourt mate, Chauncey Billups, shot 4-for-11. Prince, as it turned out, was the only trustworthy offensive threat, hitting runners in the lane, open jump shots, and quick putbacks en route to a 24-point performance on 10-of-15 shooting (his teammates combined to hit 22 of 62 attempts).

If the Pacers’ reserve center, Jeff Foster, hadn’t somehow managed to channel Moses Malone with a career-best 14 point, 20 rebound night (while being matched up against supreme defender Ben Wallace, no less), Prince would have been the offensive key to a Piston victory. As the series moves back to Indiana this weekend, Prince’s offensive game will have to match his stellar defensive play, because the Pistons have precious little offense coming from the reserves.

Bench strength is the major difference between this year’s Pistons and last year’s championship edition. Last year’s bench featured five solid players: center Mehmet Okur, guard Mike James (both of whom have since become starters elsewhere), guard Lindsay Hunter, center Elden Campbell, and forward Corliss Williamson.

This year’s pine features only two useful players: Hunter and the suddenly revived Antonio McDyess. Carlos Arroyo has also received minutes, but done little in them; Campbell is back with the team, but the 36-year-old has played a mere six minutes during the playoffs.

To put a finer point on it, the 2005 Pistons’ second unit is combining to score 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during the playoffs, and on Wednesday night managed 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting. Last year’s second unit produced 16.5 points and 9.4 boards per game. One could put the blame on coach Larry Brown for not doing more to develop the Pistons’ two promising young players, Delfino and Darko Milicic, who are getting only garbage-time minutes, but what’s done is done.

Fortunately for the Pistons, Prince has methodically improved his offensive game over the years, and his build presents a bevy of matchup problems for his opponents. Prince’s shooting percentage has improved from a solid 44.9% in his rookie campaign to a superb 48.7% this year, as he has become more selective about his shots.

Like Hamilton, he has a good medium-distance shot and he rarely ventures outside of his range. Consequently, his scoring has increased as he’s refined the shots that he knows he can make consistently. In addition, Prince’s gangly 6-foot-9 frame allows him to easily post up smaller defenders. In many ways, he’s the player that the Sixers, Bucks, and Knicks thought they were getting in Tim Thomas.

Prince also has very long arms – his wingspan is that of a 7-foot-2-inch center. Even taller defenders (particularly opposing centers) who arrive on help defense have trouble blocking his shots. This length is Prince’s secret weapon. While other top perimeter defenders, like San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen, are prone to foul trouble from reaching in or causing collisions, Prince’s length closes both passing and driving lanes and thus deters his opponents from attempting many of the things that result in contact, so he’s rarely in foul trouble.

All of these assets are underscored by Prince’s team-leading net plus/minus of 13.4, which means the Pistons are 13.4 points better per 100 possessions with Prince on the floor than they are without him.

Although they face a major challenge this weekend, the Pistons should be able to beat Indiana in this series. Hamilton, a 44% shooter, is unlikely to turn in any more 6-for-17 nights and unless Foster sold his soul to the devil, he is unlikely to put up Hall of Fame-type production again.

However, if the Pistons are to advance to the Finals and even repeat as champions, Prince will have to be given scoring opportunities early and often. More production from the starting lineup will be the only way to offset the Pistons’ weak bench. In Prince, Detroit has a rising star, and his increased production could carry them to another title.