Behind the Bucks Pass
Fansided

Milwaukee Bucks: 5 goals for Khris Middleton in 2018-19 season

By Jordan Treske

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 3: Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks is introduced during a pre-season game against the Chicago Bulls on October 3, 2018 at Fiserv Forum, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 3: Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks is introduced during a pre-season game against the Chicago Bulls on October 3, 2018 at Fiserv Forum, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Milwaukee, WI – APRIL 20: (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Milwaukee, WI – APRIL 20: (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Return to career three-point average

Having made a living on being one of more consistent and lethal shooters from long distance since breaking on to the scene a few years ago, Middleton’s three-point efficiency took a big slide on the whole last year.

Connecting on just 35.9 percent on a career-high 407 three-point attempts for the season, Middleton’s uncharacteristic struggles from that level of the floor throughout the first half of the season left all Bucks fans scratching their heads as they saw it all unfold.

Fortunately Middleton’s three-point shooting rebounded following the All-Star break where he shot 39.3 percent of his 112 three-point attempts from February 23 onwards after making some minute adjustments in his shooting release, which he detailed in his appearance on The Full 48 podcast with Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck in early February.

Of course, that resurgence set the stage for Middleton to put on a stellar shooting display from deep during the Bucks’ first round playoff series against the Celtics as he knocked down 25 of his 41 three-point shots during the seven-game set (61 percent).

With ever greater freedom and encouragement to let it fly from long range, the breadth to which we see Middleton operate from behind the three-point line will certainly fulfill the wishes that many, if not all Bucks fans have long held regarding his usage throughout the previous coaching regime.

As a result, an even higher three-point volume than Middleton was previously putting up will offer up a good test case to whether his early season shooting woes were an outlier or not. If it proves to be a simple outlier, seeing Middleton gravitate toward his career three-point percentage of 39.1 percent is a good benchmark for him to hit and even surpass for the coming year.

Home/Bucks News