Grading Taurean Prince's near-perfect Bucks debut: 1 Key stat stands out

With Khris Middleton still recovering from duel offseason ankle surgeries, Taurean Prince was given the nod as the Milwaukee Bucks' opening night starting small forward.

Over the past few months, there has been much chatter centered on how important Taurean Prince's contributions will be to this team. In Milwaukee's first matchup of the season, Prince showed just how important he can be.

Taurean Prince dazzles in Milwaukee Bucks debut, especially from deep

Prince wasted no time making a strong initial impression in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform, finishing with a quality stat line of 16 points, five rebounds and three assists. The forward was tied for Milwaukee's third-leading scorer in the contest, sharing the mantle with Bobby Portis, while trailing Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks' starting small forward racked up these points thanks to a near-flawless shooting night, having finished 6-of-7 on his attempts, including 4-of-5 from deep. Upon arriving in Milwaukee, Prince talked about how he studied tape of Milwaukee's stars to get a better idea of where he should be on the floor to get better 3-point looks, and that looked like a wise decision right from the jump.

This 3-point shooting is crucial, as Prince can give Antetokounmpo and Lillard more room to operate on offense with more excellent floor spacing like this.

Defensively, Prince cycled through an assortment of 76ers, but no matter who he was matched up with, the versatile forward used his height and length to be physical with them. This strong style of play made every trip down the floor a difficult one for Prince's matchup. This type of physical forward is exactly what the Milwaukee Bucks have needed for years now.

Combining the points, rebounds, assists and defense, Taurean Prince showed his ability to make an impact in just about every regard when he's on the court.

Outside of making his lone miss from 3-point land, it would have been hard for Taurean Prince to put together a stronger Milwaukee Bucks debut. His efforts helped the Bucks start the season off with a win, earning a 124-109 victory over an Eastern Conference rival.

With Khris Middleton's return date currently up in the air, Prince may have to get cozy in that starting small forward spot. Even when he signed on as Middleton's backup, Prince was set to play a vital role in this Milwaukee rotation, but his importance has increased mightily due to these circumstances. Hopefully, this will be a momentum-building performance for the veteran.

BTBP Grade: A

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