Bucks superstar praises Khris Middleton amid major changes

While much of the attention for the Milwaukee Bucks has (rightfully) been on the new dynamic duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, it's easy to forget just how talented Khris Middleton is. Middleton has been tasked with taking on an even larger third-option role with two dominant offensive players now running the show in Milwaukee. No one seems to appreciate how he's approached it more than his longtime teammate in Antetokounmpo.

"Dame has the ball, I have the ball and maybe [Middleton] has the ball a little bit less," Antetokounmpo said Sunday night to ESPN's Jamal Collier. "But at the end of the day, he's a professional. He knows what it takes to win. He knows his role. There's going to be times down the stretch where he has to score the ball for us. And he knows that. He stays ready for that.

"Throughout this whole season, he's been playing his role perfectly. You could not ask for more. The minutes that he's been given, and those are going up slowly, slowly, slowly. Maybe one day he can play back-to-backs. But right now I think Khris is doing an unbelievable job, being mature, being OK with his role and playing the game the right way."

Antetokounmpo is spot-on with his assessment of the way Middleton has handled the adjustment, especially when factoring in that his minutes, scoring average and attempts per game are all down from last season and have taken a major dip from the year prior. Middleton averages 13.1 points on 10.6 attempts while logging his fewest minutes per game since he was a rookie with the Detroit Pistons (23.3).

But what jumps out here is what the drastic change offensively has sparked in the 32-year-old. He's currently knocking down shots at his highest rate since the 2020-21 season, making 47.1% from the field. Even in fewer minutes, he has still averaged 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. 

Middleton's role may look different, but when his number is called, he's proving at a consistent rate that he's ready to make the right play. And in turn, it's helped lead the Bucks to a 21-7 mark, placing them just a half game behind the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference heading into the weekend before Christmas.