Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton searching for consistency going into playoffs

With three games remaining this 2020-21 regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks have only a few more dress rehearsals before the real thing starts.

So much of the Bucks’ focus throughout the year has revolved around playing their best basketball at the right time. And as such, there’s plenty of focus from Bucks fans in regards into whether they truly are rounding into their form, especially as some nagging lapses have occurred down the final stretch.

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The same rings true of Bucks forward Khris Middleton. It’s been a while since Middleton’s hot start to this season and as the year has gone on, so too have Middleton’s inconsistencies and the ups and downs seen from game to game.

Milwaukee’s last two games provide a fitting snapshot in that department as Middleton finished with 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 2-for-7 from downtown in the Bucks’ rough loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The following night, Middleton scored just 11 points on 3-for-15 shooting (0-for-5 from three) in their bounce-back win over the Orlando Magic.

This has been a niggling trend in Middleton’s play over the second half of the season, even as he’s produced a stat line that is somewhat identical to what he’s averaging on the season as a whole. In his 30 appearances since the All-Star break, Middleton is averaging 20 points while shooting .448/.401/.911, 5.8 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.3 minutes per game.

Can Khris Middleton sort out his ups and downs for the Milwaukee Bucks?

Even as Middleton’s erratic play has continued, we’ve seen some glittering highs as the regular season draws to a close. The two-way performances that Middleton posted in the Bucks’ back-to-back series with the Brooklyn Nets first comes to mind.

Whether it was the impressive defensive possessions he turned on while checking Kevin Durant or putting down timely buckets down the stretch, Middleton has stepped up for the big occasions. And for the record, Middleton limited Durant to 29 points on 11-for-24 shooting from the field (2-for-6 from deep), six assists and three turnovers over 55.7 partial possessions in the Bucks’ three games against Brooklyn this year, per NBA.com/stats.

Meanwhile, the rough shooting performances have continued on for Middleton, especially against inferior competition. Some of that is due to the condensed nature of the season and having off nights in general. Yet seeing these continued nights and it’s hard to fault Bucks fans having some pause with where Middleton stands at this point in the campaign.

The sliding efficiency that Middleton has shown is starting to creep back up into the final weeks of the season. However, Middleton’s true shooting percentage has fallen all the way from 61.2 percent pre-All-Star break to 55.6 percent since the break.

The biggest reason for that is Middleton’s dip in finishing in and around the basket as he’s 43-for-84 on shots taken within the restricted area (51.2 percent) since the halfway point in the season. Although Middleton has never been the most explosive or clinical finisher, that mark can certainly be due to the heavy legs he’s played with as the season has gone on and under the grueling schedule Milwaukee has specifically had over the second half.

Any reason you want to attribute Middleton’s slide or occasional ineffectiveness, there’s plenty of room for improvement on Middleton’s end with very little time remaining before the end of the regular season. That only adds to what proves to be a tense finish for the Bucks on multiple fronts.