Prince has been out all year, but he quickly integrated into the rotation.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince is starting to find his rhythm again, and his head coach has taken notice.
After Milwaukee's 134-123 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, Doc Rivers spoke about what Prince brings to the table and how much the Bucks have missed him during his time away from the court.
"Yeah, it's coming. I you know TP's one of those guys when you watch him play more and more you realize how much we missed him," Rivers said. "You know he's one of our vets. He knows how to play. Not having him all year has really hurt us. Um, and you can see it in the way he plays defense. He makes plays, he shoots the ball, he makes the right plays, and he makes players better on the floor, and that's really important for us."
Prince Showing What He Can Do
Prince posted a season-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting against the Pacers and knocked down three of his five attempts from beyond the arc while adding two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 22 minutes off the bench.
It was his best outing since returning to action on March 10 after undergoing neck surgery in November to repair a herniated disc, an injury that kept him out of 55 games and led the team to apply for a Disabled Player Exception.
Rivers himself admitted earlier in the month that he did not think Prince would play again this season, which makes his return all the more impressive.
The 31-year-old had been held scoreless in two of his first three games back, but Sunday's performance showed that the rust is starting to wear off and his comfort level is growing with each game.
Bucks Still Fighting Despite Record
Milwaukee improved to 28-39 with the win, sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference with their playoff hopes all but gone.
Bobby Portis led the way with 29 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, while Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds before leaving the game with a hyperextended left knee.
The Pacers dropped to 15-53 on the season after the loss, continuing what has been a rough year without Tyrese Haliburton.
Even though the Bucks' season has been full of ups and downs, Rivers has continued to stress that playing the right way matters regardless of what the record says.
Six players reached double figures for Milwaukee in the win, which is the kind of balanced attack that Rivers has been pushing for all season long.
Will Prince Be Back Next Season?
Prince signed a two-year, $7.1 million deal with the Bucks last summer and holds a $3.8 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
Given that he missed the majority of this year, picking up that option and returning to Milwaukee seems like the most likely path forward for the veteran wing.
He shot 43.9 percent from three-point range in 80 games last season and has connected on 42.9 percent of his threes this year in limited action, so the shooting ability is clearly still there.
If Prince can finish out the final stretch of the season on a strong note, he would give the Bucks a reliable piece heading into what could be a very different looking roster next year.