After a promising seven-game win streak, the Milwaukee Bucks have suffered back-to-back losses with their defeat to the Boston Celtics on Friday. They had a four-point lead heading into the final quarter, but errors cost them. One positive was seeing Khris Middleton make his season debut following surgery on both ankles this offseason, and he played well.
As expected, the three-time All-Star came off the bench and probably played more minutes than he was expected, with Taurean Prince coming into the game listed as doubtful but also leaving at half-time having played just nine minutes due to a Non-Covid Illness. This gave Middleton more of an opportunity to get comfortable on the court, and playing the reigning champions is no better way to test yourself.
Moving forward, Middleton will still be managed closely by Doc Rivers and his team. Hopefully, Prince will recover from his illness and will be in line to start on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets, allowing Khris Middleton to lead the bench unit again.
It was brilliant to see Khash Money Khris back out there, so let's grade his season debut.
Grading Khris Middleton's promising season debut with the Bucks
As expected, Middleton didn't completely shake the rust off following his surgery, as it was revealed he only returned to 5-on-5 scrimmage action just over a week ago, with him being medically cleared to play but wanting to take his own time and feel his best to be back in the rotation. Despite the layoff, he looked good.
He played 23 minutes, which is a positive, and finished with 11 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Having not played since the postseason, that is impressive considering the opposition. Where he struggled slightly was hitting just 2-of-10 (20 percent) shots, including 1-of-3 (33.3 percent) from deep. That is of no concern, as it is very rare for a player to come back from a surgery of this extent and find their flow instantly.
His first bucket of the season was a 4-point play. Andre Jackson Jr. dished it to him on the left wing, where Middleton was caught by Sam Hauser as he pulled up from deep. Adding an extra shot creator of Middleton's quality is a huge bonus for the Milwaukee Bucks, and over the coming weeks, we will really see the impact he has on the team. Just three players had a positive +/- on Friday; Middleton was one of those with a +3.
Defensively, he held his own too, holding opponents to 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) and 2-of-6 (33.3 percent) from deep. Over six minutes of his defensive matchups were on Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, which is difficult for anyone, let alone a player making his season debut.
One obvious but big thing the Bucks can look forward to is the strength of the lineup that includes Middleton, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez together. In 41 games last season, they had an offensive rating of 123.5 and a defensive rating of 106.9. Those four with Jackson or AJ Green plugged in would be a problem for opponents, but that will depend on Middleton's development over the coming weeks and the minutes he plays.
It was overall a very positive debut from Middleton, showing what the team has missed, and there are signs that once back to 100% and flowing, the rotations and lineups Doc Rivers can utilize open up a variety of opportunities for the Milwaukee Bucks.
BTBP Grade: B+
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.