The Bucks will be without Taurean Prince Friday night against the Bulls, as the Milwaukee forward deals with a neck strain. Prince is averaging 21 minutes per night and has played less than that only twice, so someone will have to step in to fill those minutes. One candidate is offseason addition Amir Coffey, who has struggled to dig his heels in this season. Prince’s absence could be the opening he needs to log some real minutes and gain momentum.
Coffey hasn’t started strong in Milwaukee
Or, it might not be. Doc Rivers has options. He could simply lean more heavily on Gary Trent Jr. and/or AJ Green to supply minutes at the three, although both are undersized. Alternatively, Kyle Kuzma might be in for a bump up in playing time if the Bucks decide to go bigger. Kuzma is also an easy replacement for any minutes Prince might play at the four.
Mar 22, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham (left) talks with forward Taurean Prince (12) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
That said, Coffey would seem the most natural substitute as a 6-foot-7 wing who, in theory, should effectively be a clone of Prince.
So far, though, he hasn’t done much. While Coffey has appeared in every game, he averaged just 10 minutes and been held scoreless five times. He has attempted 11 total shots and is averaging 1.8 points per game.
Most notably, he simply has not looked comfortable. Defensively, Coffey has not impressed like the Bucks hoped he would. He is lacking in both physicality and quickness and has contributed a +7.5 defensive on-off rating. In other words, opponents score 7.5 more points per 100 possessions when Coffey is on the floor. It has been worse on offense, where he accounts for an on-off rating of -9.5.
With that as context, will Rivers really call Coffey’s number to fill in for Prince? The key for Coffey will be playing well early. He will get his usual handful of minutes, and with Prince out, Rivers could decide to leave him out there longer if he is holding his own.
Mar 4, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives for the basket against Los Angeles Clippers forward Amir Coffey (7) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Thus far, Coffey hasn’t played more than 15 minutes in a game. Part of that is his uninspiring play, part of it is lack of opportunity. Friday is as good a time as ever to start showing the Bucks that he can be a reliable contributor in the rotation, more than an afterthought or negligible fringe piece.
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