Troubling trend for key starter coming at the wrong time for struggling Bucks

With a number of strong additions to the roster and the league seemingly forgetting how good they can be, there was a lot of excitement from the Milwaukee Bucks fanbase coming into the new season.

After a fourth straight loss and falling to a 1-4 record to start the season, the latest defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies highlighted a worrying trend for one of their key starters.

As a whole, the team is struggling. They shot 21.4 percent from three against Memphis and are the third-worst 3-point shooting team at a woeful 30.6 percent on the season. In general, their field goal percentage is 47.1, which is the 10th best in the league, but that 3-point shooting continues to be an issue that needs fixing quickly.

Taurean Prince was a nice offseason pickup on a minimum deal and has been filling in at the small forward slot with Khris Middleton still out injured. The veteran wing started the season well, but in recent games, his shooting has taken a dip, and the trend is coming at a bad time when the Bucks need it most.

Taurean Prince's shooting is a worry for the Milwaukee Bucks

On opening night against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Bucks looked great, filling the fanbase with optimism as to what the team can achieve this season. The defeat to the Chicago Bulls wasn't good, but the Bulls shot lights out.

Since then, it has continued to go downhill for Milwaukee, and there are clear issues that need fixing quickly before the Bucks fall even further behind the leading teams in the Eastern Conference.

Prince shot 85.7 percent against the Sixers and went 4-of-5 from three. Against the Bulls, he shot 71.4 percent and hit his only 3-point try. Over his last three games, all losses for the Bucks, Prince has shot just 27.3 percent from behind the arc.

When Prince was brought in, he was expected to be a nice complementary piece for the bench unit that could fill in where needed and play defense. With Middleton out and him starting, the shooting really needs to be on point with how poorly the bench unit is currently performing.

Khris Middleton's return will likely see Taurean Prince take a spot on the bench, which could be a positive for the Bucks as they aim to spark some life into their second unit. For now, he will continue to feature in the starting lineup, with his defensive abilities still being required for Milwaukee.

Prince is more than good enough to figure it out, but the trend is slightly worrying, and the overall team performance is a real issue that drastically needs turning around.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.