Khris Middleton And The Value of Real Plus-Minus

Mar 22, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) passes the ball away from Cleveland Cavaliers guard

(2) in the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

9. Khris Middleton

Contract Next Season: Restricted Free Agent

I’ve already talked all about Middleton’s shooting and how his season racks up historically, but it’s the fact that there’s so much more to his game than that, that makes him seem genuinely special.

Consider that of players who have played 50 games or more this season, Middleton has the sixth best defensive rating of all NBA players, with the Bucks only allowing 96.3 points per 100 possessions with the 23-year-old on the floor. That makes him the league leader that doesn’t play for the league’s best defense (Golden State) or isn’t defensive animal Tony Allen.

As a guy who was taken as a second-round draft pick only three years ago, Middleton’s rise has been truly meteoric: expect his next pay-day to reflect that.