Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton missed his fourth game of the season on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Middleton saw the Bucks comeback from 26 points down against the Trail Blazers (4-12) at home in a 108-102 win.
One of the biggest problems for the Bucks this season, despite being 12-5 on the year, is Middleton’s health. His health has been one of the biggest issues over the past couple of seasons, and general manager Jon Horst gave him a contract extension in the offseason anyway.
The reason why he did not play on Sunday night was Achilles tendinitis. Eric Nehm of The Athletic, on Sunday, asked head coach Adrian Griffin Jr. when Khris Middleton is expected to be back on the playing court. Griffin Jr. told him:
“No timeline. Just day-to-day and see how he responds to treatment, but I think things are promising.”
The Bucks will next play against the Miami Heat (10-7) in the NBA in-season tournament on Tuesday. It is possible that Middleton will miss more time, and who knows when he will next play for the Bucks?
In 13 games so far this season for Milwaukee, he is averaging 11.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.1 BPG, and 0.7 SPG. Khris Middleton has been okay this season when on the court. Middleton’s availability has been one of the reasons why they went out and got Damian Lillard via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason. Middleton is 32 years old and will need to produce whenever he gets back on the court for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Bucks Khris Middleton Will Need to Better When Available
Middleton is on the Bucks starting five for a reason when in the lineup. He will need to play better and be the third option on Milwaukee when available. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are the two best players on the team, but Middleton needs to produce more.
Middleton has yet to score 20 points in a game for the Bucks this season. The most he scored was 19 points against the Indiana Pacers on 11/09. Middleton has the talent to score 20 or more in a game. Starters Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley have already done that at least once this season.
