Because the Milwaukee Bucks embark on a pivotal 2024-25 marketing campaign, they will be lacking one in all their most essential gamers. On Monday the information broke that All-Star Khris Middleton will miss the workforce’s season opener in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, and can usually miss the beginning of this NBA season. Final season, he averaged 15.1 factors and 5.3 assists in 55 video games.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report. Moreover, the insider famous the Bucks are “cautiously progressing” Middleton in direction of a return. The sharpshooter did not seem throughout preseason and has not been cleared for 5-on-5 apply.
That is worrisome for Milwaukee in that Middleton is essential to its championship hopes. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard kind a harmful two-headed monster on the helm of the Bucks, however Middleton’s potential to area the ground and function as a secondary playmaker is what can separate Milwaukee from the pack. To that finish, it issues way more if Middleton is wholesome on the finish of the season, when the playoffs begin.
He is handled quite a few accidents since he helped the Bucks win an NBA title in 2020-21. Middleton has performed solely 88 video games throughout the final two seasons mixed and underwent surgical procedure this offseason on each of his ankles, which got here as a shock to most people.
The Bucks are clearly bringing Middleton alongside slowly as he rehabs from these surgical procedures. However the extra time the previous All-Star misses, the extra in regards to the scenario grows for Milwaukee. Rather a lot is using on this yr and will probably be laborious to satisfy expectations with out Middleton within the lineup. They will begin the season attempting to do exactly that.
