How Prince Bull’s injury affects the Bucks’ chances to compete in the East

MILWAUKEE – The The Milwaukee Bucks announced that Taurean Prince underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in the neck. His absence is said to be indefinite and the club have offered a timetable for his return at a later date.

Prince’s absence could be a big blow for Milwaukee, who had hoped to rely on the 31-year-old to fill valuable minutes as a forward/guard combination.

What will his extended absence mean for the Bucks?

Coach Doc Rivers expected a big season from Prince. A day after the announcement, before the NBA Cup game against the Charlotte Hornets, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers noted that a lot will be missed in Prince’s absence.

“I think he played a great role off the bench,” Rivers said.

Prince played last season 80 games and started 73 for Milwaukee. He noted that Prince’s role on the bench meant he was getting better matchups on defense.

“(Compared to) last year that started … (when he was) trying to guard the best point guard on the floor,” Rivers said.

With a remodeled guard room and Myles Turner will complement Giannis Antetokounmpo in the frontcourt, Prince has been coming off the bench this season. He averaged 6.1 PPG and shot just under 43% from deep in eight games this season.

“I think he’s going to have a really good year, and now this and that is a tough blow for him,” Rivers said.

Which Bucks player will fill Taurean Prince’s minutes?

The Bucks have several options to fill Prince’s roughly 20-minute-per-game void.

“We have a committee of guys,” Rivers said. “You can go deep with Amir (Coffey) and Gary Harris; two very capable guys. You can shorten the rotation. We can do both.”

On Nov. 12, Harris got six minutes of action in a loss at Charlotte. While he didn’t shoot, he finished with a steal and an assist. Coffey also hasn’t been extremely productive, but he could be in line for more work than his roughly 11-minute-per-game average since Prince suffered the injury.

As for replacing Prince’s prowess from 3-point territory, Rivers was confident Coffey and Harris — with more consistent looks — could become effective long-range options for the Bucks.

“I think Amir has definitely gone through some (drives). He’s a great shooter. He’s not shooting well yet, but he will,” Rivers said, adding that Coffey has decided to drive over the jump shot in his time this season. “Gary just didn’t play enough. I don’t think we’re going to have that problem with Gary, I think he’s going to shoot.”

Coffey is a career 38.2 percent three-point shooter, while Harris is a 36.9 percent three-point shooter.

Elsewhere, increased minutes could also be in order for Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Porter and the guard room.

And while it’s too early to say for sure whether the loss of Prince will jeopardize the Bucks’ plans for Eastern Conference dominance, it’s worth noting that they’re 2-2 in their first four games without him. It’s a situation worth watching in the coming weeks as Milwaukee finds answers.

“Obviously, (we’re) missing his scoring; his veteran leadership,” Rivers noted.