Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking Khris Middleton among best second options
By Dalton Sell
Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking Khris Middleton among best second options: No. 4 – The man himself
Despite his regular season success over the past few years, Middleton would not get his respect until he got over the hump in the postseason with the Bucks.
Sure enough, he did just that this past season with a memorable 23-game stretch. In that span, the forward averaged 23.6 points on .438/.343/.887 shooting splits, 7.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. Middleton consistently closed games for the Bucks down the stretch, hitting a slew of now-iconic shots to help propel this team to the title. Also, who could forget his sensational 40-point performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals versus the Phoenix Suns?
The biggest issue with Middleton is his inconsistency, which was a key discussion throughout the entirety of the playoff run. There were games where Middleton would look like the best scorer in basketball, and he could come out and play the next night and score far below his season average. This was perfectly highlighted in the Eastern Conference Finals, where he scored a combined 30 points in the first two games but exploded for 38 points in Game 3.
In the end, Middleton’s efforts helped the Bucks come out on top. While the consistency will remain an issue, he proved himself to be one of the best second options in the league during this past playoff run, and Bucks fans are glad to have him.