Bucks' Khris Middleton is back and better than ever

Published

Welcome to the 2019-20 edition of the Bucks Weekly Spotlight. Each Thursday we'll track the progress of the players who are trying to help Milwaukee make a championship run, give updates on other players from the previous week and sometimes take a look at who is lighting it up for the Wisconsin Herd.

This is the 5th edition of the 2019-20 Bucks Weekly Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Forward Khris Middleton



After Middleton suffered a left thigh contusion during Milwaukee’s win in Oklahoma City on Nov. 10, he was expected to miss between 3-to-4 weeks of action. He beat that timeframe and was back for the Bucks’ home victory against Atlanta on Nov. 27.

Middleton was eased back, topping 20 minutes just once in his first four games after his return (23:17 at Cleveland on Nov. 29). He was up to just over 25 minutes in each of the next two games.

The last two games have seen Middleton on the floor closer to his usual playing time. Over his first nine games, Middleton averaged 31.7 minutes per contest. On Monday against Orlando he played just over 29 minutes and Wednesday night was over 30 minutes (30:50 to be exact) for the first time since Nov. 8.

His minutes aren’t the only thing trending back to normal.

In Middleton’s first five games in his return from the injury, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 50.8% from the field and 31.3% from 3 (averaging one 3 per game on 3.2 attempts).

In Milwaukee’s three games this past week, Middleton averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists while making 53.1% of his shots and 47.1% of his 3 attempts (averaging 2.7 made 3s with 5.7 attempts).

The injury and minutes limitations have knocked Middleton’s season averages down slightly from last year. However, his per-36 minutes numbers are, for the most part, up, as is his shooting.

2018-19 per 36 (77 games): 21.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.1 blocks, 2.7 3P/G, 7.1 3pA/G, 44.1 FG%, 37.8 3FG%, 48.5 2FG%, 83.7 FT%.

2019-20 per 36 (through 18 games): 23.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.1 blocks, 2.7 3P/G, 6.8 3PA/G, 49.0 FG%, 39.4 3FG%, 54.9 2FG%, 89.6 FT%.

Khash Money is back. And better than ever.

BUCKSHOTS

-- This week in Giannis: Antetokounmpo sat our Milwaukee’s win over New Orleans on Wednesday due to soreness in his right quad tendon. In Monday’s win over the Magic, he nearly had a triple-double, posting 32 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Antetokounmpo has made a 3-pointer in 17 consecutive games and has scored 24+ points in 20 straight.

-- With Giannis sitting vs. the Pelicans, Eric Bledsoe had a team-high 29 points, making 10 of 13 shots including 5 of 6 from 3. He hadn’t had more than 13 points since tallying 30 vs. Portland on Nov. 21. Bledsoe also hit all four of his free-throw attempts – he hadn’t taken that many in a game since going 6-for-6 on Nov. 20. In the 10 games since then, he’d been to the line just nine times.

-- With Giannis out, Ersan Ilyasova started on Wednesday and poured in a season-high 18 points. It was his highest-scoring output since he had 19 against Toronto on Oct. 29, 2018 … a game in which Antetokounmpo also didn’t play. Ilyasova has scored in double figures in four straight games and seven of the last eight after doing so just three times in his first 15 contests of the season.

-- Veteran guard George Hill continues his ridiculous shooting accuracy. He made 11 of 15 shots this past week (73.3%). Hill leads the NBA in 3-point percentage at 53.7%. He made all three of his 3 attempts Wednesday vs. the Pelicans.

-- Down in the G League, guard Frank Mason, who is on a two-way contract, had games with 25 and 26 points last week.