Taurean Prince undergoing neck surgery has taken away a small forward that the Milwaukee Bucks could desperately use right now. Sidelined in all but eight games this season to address a herniated disc, there is currently no timetable for Prince to return to the court. He understandably isn't doing much physical activity right now, as he confirmed to reporters on Thursday.
“I can’t even think about basketball until the surgery is fully healed and I get cleared to start doing basketball activities again."
The Bucks have to proceed without Prince. There's no telling when he will come back. He could very well miss the entire season. That's a tough blow for Prince, obviously. It also hurts the Bucks, who are hurting at small forward right now and could use a savvy veteran capable of shooting over 40 percent from three. Injuries continue to be the Milwaukee Bucks' ultimate boogeyman.
Bucks won't be getting Taurean Prince back soon
Taurean Prince's injury has forced Doc Rivers to get creative with his rotations. AJ Green has been a small forward for a good chunk of the season, playing out of position. The problem with that is that he is consistently guarding bigger players, who are natural small forwards, and finds himself getting into foul trouble early and often. He currently leads the NBA in total first-quarter fouls.
Kyle Kuzma has earned some time at the three, but that's not his natural spot. He tends to play much better when he's backing up Giannis Antetokounmpo at the power forward spot. With Giannis out of the lineup right now, Kuzma is doing enough heavy lifting at the four spot. He cannot carry things all on his own at both spots.
From the moment Prince went down, it felt like it was Amir Coffey's time to shine. The Bucks thought they had a major steal in Coffey after he went unsigned for most of the summer, but he's been a dud. Coffey initially had a chance to show what he was worth, but Rivers quickly yanked him from the mix after a string of performances where he didn't do much of anything.
This would be a great time for Andre Jackson Jr. to make his return to Milwaukee's rotation, especially with how sluggish the team has looked on the glass and in transition this year. However, for whatever reason, Jackson can't seem to wiggle his way into the rotation, as Rivers has been far more invested in veteran wing Gary Harris.
Milwaukee's best bet to solve their small forward predicament is likely through a trade. It won't be through Taurean Prince returning anytime soon.
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