A top contender to win the east, the Milwaukee Bucks are currently one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. Seeded second in the standings, Giannis Antetokounmpo and co hold a 15-5 record, with the likes of Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Grayson Allen, and Jevon Carter playing the perfect supporting cast to the Greek Freak.
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Interestingly, the second-best player on the team, Khris Middleton, was yet to make his season debut. The Bucks forward hasn’t played a single game post suffering an MCL sprain during the first round against the Bulls in the 2021 playoffs.
While Middleton had recovered from his MCL sprain before the start of the season, his injury woes continued as he decided to treat a wrist injury he sustained during last year’s All-Star break. There are no two ways had the three-time All-Star been healthy, we could be singing a different narrative to the outcome of the 2021-22 season.
The services of Middleton were greatly missed, something his superstar teammate Giannis would second, sharing his excitement during a recent media interaction.
Giannis Antetokounmpo beams with joy as Khris Middleton makes comeback.
Middleton is the Robin to Giannis’ Batman, having each other’s back, especially during difficult times, something that was on display during the Bucks’ championship run in 2021. Having missed the opportunity to repeat last season, the elite duo looks to bring back the Larry O’Brien trophy to Milwaukee.
With Middleton making his season debut after missing the first 20 games, Giannis couldn’t hold his excitement while addressing the media, heaping praises of the 6ft 7″ forward.
“I’m very excited to have Khris back. I have played 20-games without Khris, miss my guy, he makes the game a lot easier for me, great player, he’s one of the best players in the league, he’s a big part of who we are, if not the best closer in our team, so just having him back with us, very excited.”
Khris has no reason to worry as he returns and can take as much time to get off the rust, given the Bucks are in a good position.
What does Khris Middleton’s return mean for the Bucks?
A three-time All-Star, Middleton takes a lot of pressure off Giannis, who has been doing most of the heavy lifting on the offense. The former Texas A&M player has a great mid-range, coupled with a clutch gene, making him a necessary ingredient in the recipe for a championship.
In his last season, the Bucks forward is a career close to 40% shooter from the 3-point line and 88.1% from the free-throw line.
