Milwaukee Bucks: Pressure on Khris Middleton approaching all-time high

By Dalton Sell | Jan 7, 2020

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 30: (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

If the Milwaukee Bucks wish to extend their season through to June, Khris Middleton will need to carry his dynamic offensive play into the postseason.

As All-Star break approaches, the Milwaukee Bucks finds themselves in a similar position of dominance to last season. If they wish to fulfill their championship desires this year, Khris Middleton will need to carry his dynamic offensive play into the postseason.

After averaging 19.1 points in a combined nine games versus the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics throughout the first two rounds of the 2019-19 playoffs last season, Khris Middleton had looked stellar as the second scoring option for Milwaukee. The league-best Bucks looked nearly unstoppable in their first two matchups but ran into a problem soon after.

More from Bucks News

What hurt Milwaukee the most in the Eastern Conference Finals was Middleton’s play against the Toronto Raptors, where the solidified scorer went completely cold on the offensive end. Things would take a drastic turn for the worse as Middleton would finish scoring only 13.6 points per game versus the Raptors, providing more than 14 points just once throughout six games.

This lack of offensive contribution was a huge factor in the heartbreaking close of Milwaukee’s magical season. Still, the veteran had been an essential part of the team’s success to that point. Looking to run it back in the 2019-20 season, coming to terms on a huge deal to bring Khris back was ideal for both sides. After signing a five-year, $178 million contract to return for the Milwaukee Bucks this past offseason, there is now more pressure on Middleton to perform than ever before.

With the current Bucks possessing the league’s best record along with the MVP frontrunner in Giannis Antetokounmpo, this team is showing the benefits of familiarity from last season. Another familiar sight is the play of Khris Middleton, who has been having a stellar follow-up season to his first All-Star appearance last year. Since dealing with a thigh contusion early in the season, which forced him to miss several games, Khris has come out firing with the ball in his hands since returning.

Currently averaging 18.7 points, the forward could join elite company in the 50/40/90 club with his impressive shooting percentages. Standing at 47.6 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from deep, and 90.1 percent from the free-throw line, Middleton’s offensive arsenal has been a massive spark for Milwaukee’s league best offense this season.

These averages could also see the eight-year veteran get rightfully selected to his second consecutive All-Star game, but the main thing to focus on is remaining consistent on offense. Having scored 20 points or more in 10 of his last 15 games, Middleton has been in a solid rhythm for almost a month now. Hopefully, this recent scoring barrage creates some momentum for the long haul.

As the playoffs are still several months away, the pressure on Middleton is not immediate, but it continues to grow with each game. Though he is having another fantastic regular season for the Bucks, the real test will be how his game can translate into the playoffs.

Going into this season, the Milwaukee Bucks looked like one of the heavy favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. However, with bad losses to both Philadelphia and Boston this season, there remains plenty of reason to be cautious. If this team is going to make a deep NBA Finals run, Milwaukee needs Khris Middleton performing at the highest level in the postseason.

dark. Next. Giannis Antetokounmpo passes free throw test

Giving him a near-max contract in the offseason, the Bucks clearly believe Middleton can be that second star performer on their team. With their championship aspirations at an all-time high, this is the most crucial season of the former second-round pick’s career.

Home/Bucks News