Khris Middleton has traversed a tough road this season with the Milwaukee Bucks. The 32-year-old entered the season nursing a lingering knee injury that required surgery during the summer. Not only was he on a strict minutes limit to start the campaign, but he also had to be given the occasional night off in order to ease the pressure on his recovering knee.
On top of that, Middleton also had to find a way to remain relevant as the Bucks’ third star alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and summer recruit Damian Lillard.
It may have taken him a while to finally get his groove but right now, it’s probably safe to say that the three-time All-Star is close to reaching his peak form.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Vocal on Khris Middleton’s New Role for Milwaukee Bucks
If there’s anyone who appreciates the adjustments Middleton has had to make this season, it’s Giannis. Antetokounmpo had nothing but high praise for his partner-in-crime as he described the transition Middleton had to go through following his demotion as Milwaukee’s third option on offense:
“I understand. Obviously, Dame has the ball, I have the ball and maybe he has the ball a little bit less, but at the end of the day, he’s a professional,” Antetokounmpo said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “He knows what it takes to win. He knows his role. And there’s gonna be times that down the stretch, like he has to score the ball for us. And he knows that. He stays ready for that.
“And I think throughout this whole season, he’s been playing his role perfectly. You could not ask for more in the minutes that he’s been giving. Obviously, his minutes are going up slowly, slowly, slowly, and maybe moving forward, he can play back-to-backs. But right now, I think Khris is doing an unbelievable job, just being mature, being okay with his role and playing the game the right way. And whenever he’s trying to score, he’s ready for it, for sure. I love it.”
As Giannis said, the Bucks still need Middleton to be the go-to guy on occasion. Sunday’s clutch performance in their 128-119 win over Houston Rockets was a perfect example of the same as Middleton scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Houston did all they could to mount a comeback against the Bucks, but Middleton just wouldn’t let them. The fact that Giannis, Lillard, and the rest of the Bucks let Middleton do his thing on Sunday is a clear testament to how this team has no issue with who gets it done.
At the end of the day, what matters most is the W.
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