After an up and down start to the NBA season, help is finally on the way for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, Khris Middleton will make his highly-anticipated season debut on Friday when the Bucks play the Boston Celtics. Middleton had been sidelined for months due to bilateral ankle surgeries, with him initially set to be ready for the start of the season before the timetable became incredibly murky. Now, 21 games into the season, he is ready.
How will he be reintegrated into the lineup? Here's how Doc Rivers should - and likely will - utilize him to start things off.
Rivers has some lineup decisions to make upon Khris Middleton's return
First and foremost, despite Middleton being a key cog, Doc Rivers cannot lose sight of Milwaukee's recent youth movement amid his return. Players like AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. have shown lately that they are all contributors who are necessary to this team's success. Cutting their minutes significantly would be a slap in the face and would hurt the team soon after.
Rivers must find a way to keep them in the mix while also reintegrating Khris Middleton, who should come off the bench to start. The Milwaukee Bucks have had success with their current starting five, featuring Andre Jackson Jr. at the two and Taurean Prince at the three. Both players have lived up to expectations in those roles, and the Bucks should not shake that up just yet.
Middleton should eat into the minutes of Bobby Portis, who has had a tough start to the year, to say the least. Though Middleton is not a backup big, the Bucks could survive by playing smaller lineups, keeping their wing rotation intact while also getting Middleton more minutes. Portis won't see his time cut entirely, but he should see a major dip in minutes.
It also makes sense to take this approach because Middleton will more than likely be on a key minutes limit to start the season amid the ramp-up process. This way, Rivers can keep the forward's minutes in check while also keeping chemistry amid his regulars intact. In time, Middleton can absolutely work his way into the starting five, but doing so right away may be too bold of a move.
At 11-10, things have not been smooth sailing for the Milwaukee Bucks this season, but Middleton's absence has reminded them that they are not a complete product. With the forward back, they will be healthy for the first time in a long time. Getting the three-time All-Star and one of the smoothest scorers in the game back in the lineup could mark a turning point for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fans should expect some early rust, but once Middleton shakes it off, they know what he's capable of.
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