Milwaukee Bucks: How will franchise history view Khris Middleton?

Accolades

While many would consider the All-Star Game to be little short of a gimmick, it still has its place in terms of measuring a player’s worth compared to their competition over the years.

As such, All-Star selections frequently factor into discussions around Hall of Fame eligibility, jersey retirements and even just greater analysis within the context of any team’s history.

When reading historical takes on Michael Jordan’s claim to being the greatest of all time, his 14 All-Star appearances far outweigh the detail of his actual performances in any of those games. As such, while many will dismiss the current All-Star game, it remains an important measurement in determining the success of one’s career in the bigger picture.

With that in mind, Middleton’s legacy as a Buck currently has a glaring hole.

It’s not impossible to cement a legacy as a franchise great without making an All-Star appearance, but Bucks history suggests it may require exceptional circumstances.

Of Milwaukee’s jersey retirees, Junior Bridgeman is the only player to be honored as such without receiving a single All-Star nod. As the current leader for games played in Bucks history, it’s important to distinguish Bridgeman from the rest of the competition, though. What Bridgeman didn’t provide in accolades, he brought in unbridled consistency on an extremely competitive Bucks team.

Neither Middleton as an individual or the Bucks as a team during his tenure have come close to hitting the marks achieved by Bridgeman and his teammates, and realistically Middleton will never hit those marks in terms of games played.

As he approaches what should be the prime years of his career, Middleton still has plenty of time to reassert his importance to the Bucks and to build up a significant legacy beyond that, though. Middleton has had an excellent five years with Milwaukee so far, and that shouldn’t be lost on Bucks fans in the moment.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Every All-Star In Franchise History (2018 update)

If he’s to become one of the franchise’s all-time greats he’ll almost certainly need some help from his teammates, but then again, if the Bucks are to achieve their goals this season and in the coming years, those same teammates will need plenty of help from Middleton too.