Perhaps this veteran will be the key to the Milwaukee Bucks’ success this season.
Sometimes watching a game on television makes it difficult to control your yells. Of course, I have no way to verify this, but Khris Middleton is the only real “yell-at-the-tv-player” on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Most Bucks supporters would concur. They would also concur that he must start playing now in order to help this team contend for an NBA championship. He is the third scoring option this team needs.
Khris, aka “Khash Money,” is 32 years old. He occasionally contributes more to this team than any other player, with the exception of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has a fantastic but frustrating 3-point shot and is signed to a big contract.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic (subscription required), Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton stated the following about the team’s culture back in 2019:
“I think Jon Horst and [former coach Mike Budenholzer] did a fantastic job of bringing in guys with high moral character.” They talk about it constantly, as if there aren’t any true a*******s on this team.”
That was Khris Middleton during a 2019 interview. He discusses the Bucks culture and what it means to the team to carry out tasks “the right way” in this passage.
For that reason, I would be shocked—shocked—if he participated in more than half of the upcoming 26 games. When he is “right,” not when it has to be rushed, the team will want to have him back. All of this, of course, comes down to playoff seeding and necessity. What then needs to change or has already changed?
Perhaps this veteran will be the key to the Milwaukee Bucks’ success this season.
The team has undoubtedly evolved significantly since 2019. Damian Lillard, who averages more than 24 points per game, has now joined the team, negating the need for Middleton to be the number two scorer.
With 122 points per game, the Milwaukee Bucks are currently the second-highest scoring team in the NBA.
In order for this team to accomplish its regular season and postseason objectives, Khris Middleton still needs to find ways to score. This season, his current scoring average is nothing to write home about.
With 43 games played as of this writing, Middleton is averaging 14.8 points per game. In the games that he does play in, he only plays for about 26 minutes and pulls down four rebounds on average.
Middleton’s performance this year has been far below his career average in every way. Middleton has averaged 5. rebounds and 16.9 points per game throughout his career. Middleton’s assists per game total is the only thing that has improved thus far. That has somewhat improved (from 3.9 to 5).
The 6-foot-7 Middleton is a skilled and versatile forward who is well-known for his clutch three-pointers, scoring prowess, and above-average defensive play. A true “diamond in the rough,” he is.
He played collegiate basketball for the Aggies at Texas A&M, where his path to NBA fame started. In the 2012 NBA Draft, Middleton was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 39th overall pick. But it was not until Middleton was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013—as part of the trade that sent Brandon Jennings to the Pistons—that he really began to thrive.
The trade’s obvious “winners” were the Bucks.
Milwaukee needs a fully healthy and prepared Khris Middleton if they hope to advance far in the playoffs, as coaches and fans alike seem to agree.
You shouldn’t anticipate Middleton returning quickly.
The possibilities for this offense would be endless if Middleton could advance beyond where he is currently as a reliable scoring option for this group.
Khris Middleton is where? He appears to be “back,” though. Can he be more than the shadow of his former self and the MVP of the 2021 NBA Finals? It’s certainly what Bucks fans everywhere hope.
Keep checking back for more analysis on the Milwaukee Bucks and further information regarding Khris Middleton’s condition.
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