Khris Middleton
Part of the reason why the Bucks have managed to come back as a better team this season than they were even a year ago when they racked up 60 wins is that their best players have upped their game even further.
That certainly applies to Khris Middleton, who is in the midst of a career year, and hasn’t rested on his laurels in the slightest following a season where he picked up his first All-Star appearance, and also then went on to represent USA at the FIBA World Cup.
Instead, this season’s version of Middleton has been a combination of the mid-range shot maker that typified his career before Mike Budenholzer’s arrival, and the more disciplined player we saw in Bud’s first year in charge.
Given the freedom to pepper in more of his preferred shots this season, Middleton’s shot selection has looked healthier than ever and resulted in an outstanding shooting season, which was just below 50-40-90 when the season came to a halt.
With career-highs in scoring and rebounding, in spite of reduced minutes overall, Middleton has upped his game notably this year.