Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, center, sits next to guard Damian Lillard, left, during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Miami Heat, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton is expected to make his 2024-25 debut Friday after missing the Bucks’ first 21 games while recovering from offseason surgeries to each of his ankles.
The Bucks released an injury report Thursday that listed the three-time All-Star as probable for the night road game with the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday that Middleton had participated in a five-on-five practice session that morning. Rivers was speaking before a 119-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks that snapped a seven-game winning streak.
“Anybody who wants to play, and Khris is one of those (guys), they’re frustrated,” Rivers said at the time. “That’s mentally challenging. You see your team playing and although we’re playing well right now, I imagine when we were really struggling and he wasn’t playing that had to be really hard for him. You want to help your team, and he knows he can.”
Rivers and Bucks general manager Jon Horst had expressed optimism before the season that the recovery wouldn’t cause Middleton to miss much time, but this situation instead continued the 33-year-old’s recent struggles to stay on the floor.
Middleton appeared in just 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 games last season due to various injuries. A sprained medial collateral ligament caused him to miss the Bucks’ final 10 playoff games in 2022.
He remains productive when healthy. Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds during the 2023-24 regular season. When two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, Middleton took over a greater role and averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists over the six-game series.