Faced with the recent difficulties of the Bucks with their “Big Three” on the floor – Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo – the Greek indicated that it was a “Doc Rivers’ decision on whether to start Khris or not”. The Milwaukee coach has decided.
According to information from Chris Haynes, the coach informed his player on Sunday in Toronto that he would now start on the bench. The trio is therefore broken, like that of Phoenix with Bradley Beal, replacing for a few days.
It is first of all a sporting choice since if Khris Middleton had shown good things during the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the winger has lost influence and his performances have been average since the return of his leader.
But it’s also a physical decision. As a reminder, the 2021 champion had surgery on both ankles last summer and, after the most difficult rehabilitation of his career, he only started his season on December 6. Still limited in terms of his playing time, he has not completely regained his legs and perhaps this time on the bench will allow him to gain strength better.
Already sixth man for a few weeks in 2022/23
This is not the first time that Khris Middleton has gone back and forth between the five majors and the bench. In 2022/23, again after starting his season after everyone else, he played his first matches in the starting suit before getting injured again and being sixth man for a few weeks in January-February 2023. In March , then for the playoffs, he found his place in the major five.
-While waiting for the rest, after missing the match against Toronto, he will be available this Wednesday evening against the Spurs, while Taurean Prince will start the game for the Bucks.
And perhaps, despite this relegation and as Giannis Antetokounmpo said, Khris Middleton will retain his importance in important moments because “It doesn’t matter who starts, what matters is who plays the last six minutes of the game, because that’s when we need guys who fight, who do good plays, who take shots and who win matches ».
| Khris Middleton | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | THE | 27 | 18 | 44.0 | 31.1 | 84.4 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| 2013-14 | MIL | 82 | 30 | 44.0 | 41.4 | 86.1 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 12.1 |
| 2014-15 | MIL | 79 | 30 | 46.7 | 40.7 | 85.9 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 13.4 |
| 2015-16 | MIL | 79 | 36 | 44.4 | 39.6 | 88.8 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 18.2 |
| 2016-17 | MIL | 29 | 31 | 45.0 | 43.3 | 88.0 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 14.7 |
| 2017-18 | MIL | 82 | 36 | 46.6 | 35.9 | 88.4 | 0.5 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 20.1 |
| 2018-19 | MIL | 77 | 31 | 44.1 | 37.8 | 83.7 | 0.6 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 18.3 |
| 2019-20 | MIL | 62 | 30 | 49.7 | 41.5 | 91.6 | 0.7 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 20.9 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 68 | 33 | 47.6 | 41.4 | 89.8 | 0.8 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 20.4 |
| 2021-22 | MIL | 66 | 32 | 44.3 | 37.3 | 89.0 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 20.1 |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 33 | 24 | 43.6 | 31.5 | 90.2 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 15.1 |
| 2023-24 | MIL | 55 | 27 | 49.3 | 38.1 | 83.3 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 15.1 |
| 2024-25 | MIL | 12 | 24 | 44.7 | 40.4 | 85.2 | 0.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 12.7 |
| Total | 751 | 31 | 46.0 | 38.8 | 87.9 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 16.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
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