There were plenty of question marks about when, but Khris Middleton was always going to end up starting for the Milwaukee Bucks at some point this season.
The first time came in Milwaukee's recent win over the Washington Wizards, giving the first five an infusion of All-Star prowess with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard out. With Middleton reclaiming his starting small forward spot, Taurean Prince moved to the second unit, as expected, where he will more than likely remain moving forward.
Prince knew from the beginning that he was coming to be Middleton's backup, so he likely isn't taking this too hard. In fact, it could be a great opportunity for him to shake off some rust as he gets used to his new scenery.
Bucks' Taurean Prince can follow the Gary Trent Jr. route
After starting the season red-hot offensively, Prince has cooled down mightily lately. In eight games this month, the forward is averaging just 4.9 points while shooting 37.5 percent from three. That's a drastic dip compared to the 9.1 points on 56.4 percent 3-point shooting in November or 7.6 points on 47.1 percent perimeter shooting in October.
He's in a slump, and sometimes, the best thing for a slumping role player is a change of pace to give them a breath of fresh air. Just look at Gary Trent Jr.
As a starter to begin the season, Trent, whose greatest attributes are his tough shot-making and floor-spacing abilities, looked lost. He averaged just eight points while shooting 28.8 percent from the field and a grueling 23.1 percent from deep. Understanding Trent might be better suited to come off the bench to generate offense, Doc Rivers replaced him with Andre Jackson Jr.
While his points per game haven't jumped drastically - he is averaging 9.6 as a reserve - his efficiency has been night and day since the change. Since coming off the bench, Trent is shooting 45.9 percent on his field goals and a red-hot 44.4 percent on his 3-point shots. He simply looks more comfortable as a member of the second unit, and the numbers speak for themselves.
If Khris Middleton will indeed remain Milwaukee's new fifth starter, this could be an opportunity for Taurean Prince to find his footing as a reserve amid what has been a tough December. Time will tell how things pan out for Prince, but he has all of the makings to be a vital cog for this Milwaukee team, so they need him to be firing on all cylinders.
When healthy, the Milwaukee Bucks could have a strong second unit with Prince, Trent, AJ Green, Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins.
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