Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton building on outstanding January

Milwaukee Bucks’ forward Khris Middleton had a January to remember, and now he’s showing signs of staying hot to start February.

Ever since the Milwaukee Bucks have risen to become one of the league’s top tier teams, one of the biggest looming questions has revolved around Khris Middleton.

Everyone knows the team is Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s to lead. However, the most significant discussion has been if Middleton is good enough to be the second option on a championship-caliber team.

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After a heartbreaking postseason loss last year in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bucks had to decide if Middleton could be that player or not. They clearly showed their faith in the 28-year old, rewarding him with a near max contract, and he hasn’t let them down all season.

Most notably, Middleton had a January to remember for the Bucks, adding all sorts of impressive accolades to his résumé. The forward was selected for his second consecutive All-Star appearance as a reserve, poured in a career-high 51 points in a victory, and is tracking to join historical company in the 50-40-90 club.

Averaging 23 points per game on 54.2 percent shooting from the field, Middleton was consistently producing on the offense end on a nightly basis through. Also shooting 51.4 percent from three-point territory, and 90.3 percent from the free-throw line, Middleton’s offensive arsenal was on full display for an entire calendar month.

This recent offensive production is welcomed after a slump that held him back early to start the season, and had the critics talking. Yet, Khris seems to be getting better with each month that passes. With high expectations for February and the rest of the season, Khris has not disappointed in three games thus far in January either.

In three games, Middleton has continued his offensive excellence with 21.7 points per game on some stellar shooting numbers. Connecting on 52 percent of his field goals and 44.4 percent of his shots from behind the arc, the All-Star has shown no signs of slowing down from his success last month.

Khris is also tallying 7.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, which has significantly helped show his abilities when he is not scoring. His ability to get his teammates involved has been a huge boost as well, elevating this team to a new level.

Middleton has silenced his critics throughout the season, but the ultimate test will come when the postseason starts. With the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship aspirations at an all-time high, the team is going to need their second star performing at his best every night if they wish to make a title run.

If the All-Star forward can have another month as he did in January, the Bucks will be in good hands. Middleton has possibly been playing at the highest level of his career, and it comes at the perfect time. With the playoffs getting closer every single day, excitement continues to build on just what the forward is capable of doing.