Matt Velazquez: Bucks win, 118-108. Bledsoe with a season-high 30 points. Giannis 25 pts, 13 rebs, Brogdon 18 pts, Middleton 15, Lopez 8 pts, 6 blocks.
Khris Middleton Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F
Born: 08/12/91
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:210 lbs. / 95.3 kg.
Salary: $13,000,000
Born: 08/12/91
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight:210 lbs. / 95.3 kg.
Salary: $13,000,000
Matt Velazquez: Giannis is usually has the first slot for pregame individual shooting on the court. He’s then joined by Khris Middleton a few minutes later. I came out to the court and Middleton was walking out to warm up. Giannis isn’t warming up. I think that tells us what we need to know.
Says one of the executives polled who didn’t rank the Bucks in his top three, “Pulling the defense out to the three-point line at every other position opens the floor for Giannis. But, late in games, if you know he won’t pull up for a jumper, you can deny him the ball really hard out to halfcourt, and if he slices behind you, there is time for defense to recover. This makes it harder for him to get it. And if you force them to initiate their offense with Eric Bledsoe or Khris Middleton, you are set up to sag off Giannis.”
Matt Velazquez: Bucks win, 129-115. Giannis with 31 pts, 10 rebs, 10 assists. Middleton had 29 pts on 11/15 shooting while Brook Lopez added 24 pts while making 7/15 3’s.
The Bucks feel Middleton can fill that role and should he opt out to hit free agency, a Bucks official told Yahoo Sports: “We’re gonna do everything we can to keep him.” Half of the league will hit free agency in July, and Middleton will have plenty of suitors if he so chooses. “I feel like over the years we’re building something special here, so I feel like there will be an opportunity for me to be here and win at the same time,” Middleton said. “If I feel like I have a chance to win somewhere else and do better things, I’ll look into that.”
Matt Velazquez: Khris Middleton told me he sprained his right pinkie the first game of the season. He’s been playing with tape on it since but the other day it got knocked and swelled up again. He’s got his hand wrapped.
