Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 97-79 loss to Miami Heat

Khris couldn’t help but miss

For the second straight game, Khris Middleton‘s impact on the Bucks was nowhere to be found Sunday afternoon.

In just over 33 minutes of action, Middleton scored 16 points on 3-of-16 shooting from the field (1-of-8 from long range), snared down six rebounds, registered three turnovers, had two assists and two steals each and was a -5 for the day.

All game long, Middleton just couldn’t find his rhythm, notably from beyond the arc, and relied on bad habits (i.e. posting up for long periods of time and trying to hit off balanced fadeaways) to break out of his shell to no avail. The only positive in Middleton’s offensive performance was how often he was able to make his way to the free throw line, going 9-for-10 from the stripe as a result.

It was a classic case of a player whose game and overall effectiveness is predicated on being in a rhythm looking very much out of his element, whether it was the early start time, the quick turnaround on the road or whatever.

But as it has been becoming clear since he returned from his hamstring injury a little under a year ago, Middleton’s form goes in cycles more than ever before and when he doesn’t have it going on a given night, the Bucks are obviously worse off without him to rely on.