MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks announced that Taurean Prince underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck. His absence was said to be indefinite, with the club offering a timetable for his return at a later date.
Prince's absence could be a big blow for Milwaukee, who were hoping to rely on the 31-year-old to fill valuable minutes as a combo forward/guard.
What’s his extended leave going to mean for the Bucks?
Coach Doc Rivers expected a big season from Prince. The day after the announcement, before an NBA Cup game against the Charlotte Hornets, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers noted much would be missed in Prince’s absence.
“I think he was playing a great role coming off the bench,” Rivers said.
Last season, Prince played 80 games and started 73 for Milwaukee. He noted Prince’s bench role meant he was getting better matchups defensively.
“[Compared to] last year starting… [when he was] trying to guard the best guard on the floor,” Rivers said.
With a revamped guard room and Myles Turner to complement Giannis Antetokounmpo in the front court, Prince was coming off the bench this season. He was averaging 6.1 PPG and shooting just less than 43% from deep in eight games this season.
“I think he was going to really have a good year, and now this and that’s a tough blow for him,” Rivers said.
What Bucks player will fill Taurean Prince’s minutes?
The Bucks have a few options to fill Prince’s roughly 20-minute-per-game gap.
“We have a committee of guys,” Rivers said. “You can go deep with Amir [Coffey] and Gary Harris; two very capable guys. You can shorten the rotation. We can do either one.”
Harris got six minutes of work on Nov. 12 in a loss at Charlotte. While he didn’t shoot, he finished with a steal and an assist. Coffey has also not been uber productive, but he could be in line for more work than his roughly 11-minute-per-game average since Prince sustained the injury.
Regarding replacing Prince’s prowess from 3-point territory, Rivers was confident Coffey and Harris – with more consistent looks – could become effective options from distance for the Bucks.
“I think Amir has passed some [shots] up for sure. He’s an excellent shooter. He’s not shooting well, yet, but he will,” Rivers said, adding Coffey has been choosing to drive over the jump shot in his time this season. “Gary just hadn’t played enough. I don’t think we’re going to have that problem with Gary, I think he will shoot it.”
Coffey is a career 38.2 percent 3-point shooter , while Harris is a 36.9 percent 3-point shooter.
Elsewhere, increased minutes could also be in order for the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Porter, and the guard room.
And while it’s too early to say for sure if the loss of Prince will put a big dent in the Bucks’ plans for Eastern conference dominance, it’s worth noting they’re 2-2 across their first four games without him. It’s a situation worth tracking in the coming weeks as Milwaukee finds answers.
“Obviously, [we] miss his shot; his veteran leadership,” Rivers noted.
