3 Bucks who must immediately step up to fill the Khris Middleton void

Taurean Prince

When the Milwaukee Bucks utilized their starters in the preseason, Taurean Prince was the player who filled in for Khris Middleton at the small forward spot; that will likely carry over into the regular season.

Although he doesn't bring the same scoring prowess as Middleton - having averaged 10.1 points for his NBA career - there is plenty to like about Prince's fit with the other starters. He's versatile on both sides of the ball, able to defend countless positions defensively while taking advantage of matchups on offense, spacing the floor with the three-ball while also attacking down low.

Prince won't be expected to up his scoring load mightily like Gary Trent Jr. or Bobby Portis, but he's going to play significant minutes in this stretch, especially in the season opener against a team with so many offensive weapons like Philadelphia. The Bucks desperately need his defense and 3-point shooting on the court without Middleton; this signing just got even more important.

At the time of this writing, it's unclear how long Khris Middleton will be out. For all we know, it could just be the opener. However, given Middleton's recent injury history and how cautious the team has been with him throughout camp and the preseason, it wouldn't be surprising if this was a slow ramp up process. In the meantime, these three Milwaukee Bucks must rise to the occasion.

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