Now that the dust has settled on an active offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have starting-lineup clarity at all but one position, which is small forward.
Of Doc Rivers' small forward options, deploying AJ Green or, alternatively, Gary Trent Jr. with Green at shooting guard, seems to be the social media favorite among fans. That choice also gives the Bucks a chance to re-create their most effective unit from last season. Although both Green and Trent can play up, this approach leaves them vulnerable to traditional threes on defense.
At the other end of the spectrum is Kyle Kuzma, who took the starting job in his second game in Milwaukee and held it almost until the very end. He presents an opposite problem. A bit oversized and a poor shooter, he's not winning the popular vote.
And then there's the compromise: defaulting to Taurean Prince, a natural three who started 73 games last year. While that option makes sense on paper, it's bound to encounter boos.
Prince gives Bucks an all too tempting fallback
Prince wouldn't start on most title contenders, or if he did, he would do so in a lineup well-stocked with creators. Other than Kevin Porter Jr. and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks don't have that. Losing Damian Lillard benefits the defense and pace, but it decreases the amount of ball-handling around non-dribblers like Prince.
Fans won't forget how Prince was played off the floor in the playoffs, or his disastrous minutes as a two-guard last season. Many were unhappy when the Bucks re-signed him, even on an advantageous minimum contract.
In his natural position, though, Prince has his pluses compared to the team's other options. At 6-foot-6, he has an inch or two of height on Trent or Green, but more so, he's just a bigger body. While he isn't the fleetest afoot, his strength is an advantage. In contrast to Kuzma, he spaces the floor with his shooting. It would be nice if he offered a bit more in the way of passing or rebounds, but the same could be said of the guard duo.
This isn't to say that Prince is a better option, only that he represents an obvious default if Rivers avoids Kuzma but can't come around on a small-ball first unit. Doc went small in that last-gasp Game 5 and seems open to it as a regular possibility, but when push comes to shove he may just throw up his hands and say, "TP, you're in." Although Prince might not be starting-caliber, it's also fair to say that, for most teams, neither Green nor Trent would suit up as threes.
To a degree, going with Prince would require dismissing last season's net rating glow of the four-man tandem featuring Giannis, Green, Trent, and Porter, although those minutes could be redistributed. With either Bobby Portis or Myles Turner at the five, the Bucks could still close with that group while letting Prince body-bump with bigger threes to begin both halves. Perhaps this isn't the way to maximize the prior lineup's minutes, but it might help preserve its effectiveness by keeping the guards fresher for clutch time.
It's also worth noting that if Green takes the kind of leap many hope he will this year, he might give Rivers no choice but to start him. Unless Rivers has really changed, though, that seems more like a midseason development than an immediate implementation. Bucks fans have seen enough of Prince as a starter, but as the so-called safe option, he may be back on the court for opening night tipoff.