Wednesday night was supposed to be an opportunity for Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton to face off against his former team, the Detroit Pistons. Unfortunately for the three-time All-Star, he will not be able to suit up as the team opts to give him the night off ahead of their upcoming back-to-back set.
The Bucks return to action on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers and it appears that Milwaukee has opted to have Middleton play in that one and rest him on Wednesday against a shorthanded Detroit side.
Will Khris Middleton Miss More Back-to-Backs for Milwaukee Bucks?
Wednesday and Thursday’s back-to-back set is the second time this season that the Bucks play two games in two nights. Middleton was also asked to sit out the front end of their back-to-back set on October 29 and 30, as the three-time All-Star watched his team get blown out by the Atlanta Hawks.
Middleton was able to return the following evening, though, helping the Bucks overcome the defending Eastern Conference champs Miami Heat. It appears that this is also going to be the case for Middleton and Milwaukee on Thursday against Indiana.
The big question now, however, is if this trend will continue moving forward.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the game, head coach Adrian Griffin refused to make any commitments. This report comes via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
“The #Bucks have another back-to-back Nov. 17-18. Head coach Adrian Griffin said that’s too far ahead to know if Khris Middleton will need to be off one of those games. He’s been at 21 minutes the last couple appearances,” Owczarski wrote in his tweet.
Milwaukee’s next back-to-back set comes in the form of matchups against the Charlotte Hornets and the Dallas Mavericks on November 17 and 18. That’s just a week and a half away, which is why it’s worth noting that Griffin considers that set to be “too far ahead.”
This could mean that Middleton is making significant progress and that he could be much healthier a week or so from today. This should give Bucks fans hope that the 32-year-old will finally be able to play in his first back-to-back set of the season soon.
In the meantime, Griffin also noted that it’s Jae Crowder who will be starting in Middleton’s place against Detroit.
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