3 keys as Milwaukee Bucks wrap up season series with Orlando Magic

Khris Middleton needs to keep it rolling for the Milwaukee Bucks

Perhaps all Khris Middleton needed to get back to being himself was a couple of games off. In 15 games after returning from health and safety protocols to when he missed three games with a hyperextended left knee, Middleton averaged under 17 points per game on 54.5 percent true shooting and a 49 percent effective field goal rate.

He would have nice games sprinkled in and there were positives. He shot over 38 percent from deep and got to the line for nearly four attempts per game, encouraging signs that he was close to getting back, but not the Khris Middleton we know.

It’s a small sample, but in four games since returning from his knee injury, Middleton has averaged nearly 22 points per game on over 62 percent true shooting and a 56 percent effective field goal rate.

He’s shooting nearly 41 percent from 3 on five and a half attempts as well as getting to the line for over six attempts per game. That’s not including his near six assists per game as well, an aspect of his game that has been strong all season.

I’ve said it a bunch, but these next few games will be a chance to stack up wins for the Bucks but also for players to find their groove against some lesser competition. Middleton is a perfect example of someone who can take advantage of these games to build some confidence and maintain this shooting rhythm.

It hasn’t always been pretty for the 30-year-old, he had a relatively tough game against the Boston Celtics, but he’s one of the final pieces of the Bucks’ puzzle to get going.