Could this be Khris Middleton’s final season in Milwaukee? Amid a challenging and injury-riddled campaign for the 31-year-old sharpshooter, that’s the question some fans and analysts are asking.
Overall, Khris has found a lot of success with the Bucks, emerging as their second option behind Giannis with averages of 20.1 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, it seems there is no guarantee that Middleton will re-sign before he becomes a free agent this summer. In a report by NBA insider Matt Moore, he revealed the latest in Milwaukee and what the status is on a possible Khris Middleton extension.
The offense has been rough from the start. As of this writing, the Bucks rank 24th in Schedule-Adjusted Offensive Rating, according to Dunks And Threes. They rank 24th in half-court offense, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Khris Middleton missed the start of the season recovering from injury, played seven games, and then went out again. On top of that, Middleton has a $40 million player option for next season he may decline. There has been burbling noise around the league that Middleton will, at the very least, test the market.
Antetokounmpo’s frustration has been notable this season, even as he puts up massive stat lines every night. The wear and tear is obvious; he’s averaging the most minutes he’s played since 2018.
Middleton has only played in 7 games this season, and the Bucks are getting a sense of how difficult things are without him. Over the last few weeks, Milwaukee’s offense has taken a major dip and there’s no doubt that Khris’ absence is a huge reason why.
Is There A Deeper Problem In Milwaukee?
The Bucks’ struggles come in the aftermath of a 9-0 start, where they looked unbeatable to start the season. Fast forward to now, and this Bucks team is almost unrecognizable.
During the latest episode of his self-titled podcast, Simmons claimed that the Bucks are struggling to develop chemistry, which has been reflected in their recent results. They lost 6 of their last 10 games, which included painful defeats against some of their biggest rivals in the conference.
“Milwaukee’s a mess,” said NBA analyst Bill Simmons. “There’s rumors about chemistry going on and weird stories floating around about them right now.”
It’s still far too early to hit the panic button for the Bucks, but their situation is a lot more complicated than it was a year ago.
If Middleton doesn’t come back at full strength this season or doesn’t come back at all, who else will step up and give Giannis the help he deserves?
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