The Milwaukee Bucks snapped a two-game losing streak by handily defeating the lowly Toronto Raptors on Monday night 128-104. The game saw Giannis Antetokounmpo notch his 49th career triple-double and Damian Lillard pass Gary Payton for 38th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
It also saw Milwaukee pull out the victory without Khris Middleton, who sat out due to tendinitis in his surgically repaired ankles. Middleton, of course, missed the first few weeks of the 2024-25 NBA season as his ankles recovered from his offseason surgery.
Since his return, the Bucks have managed his minutes in an effort to keep him healthy and work him back into the rotation. However, they were forced to make a difficult decision about his role on the team earlier today.
The Milwaukee Bucks Have Removed Khris Middleton the Starting Lineup
As reported earlier today, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has made the decision to remove Middleton from the starting lineup for the time being.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, “Doc Rivers met with Khris (Middleton) Sunday in Toronto and shared the news with him. Doc is trying to find a level of continuity with the starting group while also managing the minutes of Khris Middleton, who is still under minutes restriction.”
Sources: Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton is returning for tonight’s game against San Antonio Spurs and will come off the bench as the team tries to find continuity in starting lineup. #haynesbriefs pic.twitter.com/CgKOD5Oo4e
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 8, 2025
Of course, Middleton came off of the bench when he first made his season debut, and continued to do so for several games.
Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers Reveals Real Reason for Khris Middleton’s Move to the Bench
Middleton is averaging 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game this season while shooting 45/40/85 from the floor.
Obviously, his scoring his way down from what it was when he made three All-Star team in four seasons, and a lot of that is due to him playing fewer minutes now because of his ankles. However, his inconsistency in terms of how well he is able to move both offensively and defensively have led many fans to wonder if he might be “cooked.”
In a pregame interview with the media, Rivers revealed that the decision to remove Middleton from the starting lineup has nothing to do with his performance. Instead, it is because of his health.
Per Eric Nehm of The Athletic:
“He’s not starting tonight, but it’s more just a minute thing. He keeps getting tendinitis. It’s just not improving to the place he wants it or we want it. We’re cutting his minutes back a little bit and just trying to make sure he can get through this.”
When asked if Middleton coming off the bench makes his minutes easier to manage or for him to put the three-time All-Star in situations in which he wants him to be, Rivers said:
“I think we’re thinking about this way too much, I’m just being honest. The bottom line is that he’s just not moving every night the way you want him to. One night, you see him moving great. One night, he’s not. His minutes go up and down with the way we want to do this medically. And it’s just, it’s a tough go for him.”
Middleton’s recent injury history has turned many Bucks fans against him, but it is clear that he is doing everything in his power to get back to himself on the court.
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