MILWAUKEE — The 2024-25 NBA season is approaching and the Milwaukee Bucks are preparing to get back into title contention after being eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs in two straight seasons.
After signing Delon Wright, Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince via free agency earlier in the offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have made necessary roster changes in hopes of remaining one of the top threats in the Eastern Conference alongside the 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics and other top contenders such as the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.
In order to remain one of the big favorites in the East, the Bucks will need to get off to a good start and play consistent basketball throughout the season to secure a good spot, which could be tied in part to the health and play of their Big 3.
Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Milwaukee certainly has one of the best duos in the NBA. However, unlike most NBA teams, the Bucks also have a third co-star in Khris Middleton who could make a huge difference in whether or not they return to the NBA Finals for the first time since winning their second NBA championship in 2021.
Since Middleton slipped and tore his medial collateral ligament during a 2022 NBA playoff game against the Chicago Bulls, the three-time NBA All-Star has struggled to stay healthy. Two seasons ago, Middleton played in just 33 regular-season games before playing in 55 regular-season games last season in 2023-24. His recent injury history has been a cause for concern and has largely hampered the organization’s success over the past few seasons.
Despite his injuries, Middleton has shown that when healthy, he remains one of the league’s most capable offensive players. In the last playoffs, in a six-game first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers, Middleton averaged an impressive 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. Antetokounmpo and Lillard missed games due to injuries.
While Middleton isn’t expected to post those kinds of numbers with the Bucks’ two stars back, there’s a good chance he could play a big role in getting Milwaukee back into title contention. His play — and his health — could very well be the difference in the Bucks’ ability to compete for an NBA title.
While most opposing defenses rely on Antetokounmpo and Lillard, Middleton will often have mismatches that he can exploit to keep the Bucks’ offense flowing.
Middleton, who isn’t looking for stardom, is the perfect third star behind Lillard and Giannis. And when they’re all healthy — which isn’t often since they played just 42 games and 758 minutes together a year ago — they’re arguably one of the best trios in the game.
Middleton’s injuries have limited the trio’s impact, and things weren’t looking great heading into this season when he underwent surgery on both ankles earlier in the offseason. However, Middleton should be fully recovered by the time the Bucks’ regular season begins with a road game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 23.
If the Milwaukee Bucks are to win their third championship trophy, Middleton will need to be healthy enough to see the court most game nights and play well enough to retain his status as Milwaukee’s co-star.
