Experience career year distributing the ball
While Middleton’s scoring acumen has been the long-standing takeaway to many in his rise as a player, his playmaking and ability to create scoring opportunities for others has steadily risen as well.
Yes, Middleton came up short in matching or improving upon his best year in dishing out the ball for four assists per game last season, but the point still stands that Middleton has grown into being a respectable playmaker while assuming a high-usage role with the Bucks.
On top of that, Middleton has staved off being turnover prone. Just last year, Middleton posted a 1.72 assist-to-turnover ratio and only logged a 11.8 turnover percentage.
Those are good returns and with the role he’s carved out not likely to change in significant fashion under Bud, as having a reliable ball handler of Middleton’s caliber will only make things easier as they look to improve on the output they put up last season.
Surpassing his assist total from the 2015-16 season (331 total assists, 4.2 assists per game), will be a tough mark to improve upon, but if the Bucks’ offense takes the leap they look primed to make in the regular season, many players will have Middleton to thank for that.