Bucks News: Doc Rivers Reveals Plans For Khris Middleton Injury Return

The former three-time All-Star wing has missed all of Milwaukee's games this season.

Apr 2, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers calls a play behind Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

So when will former three-time All-Star small forward Khris Middleton make his 2024-25 regular season debut for his Milwaukee Bucks?

That's the question that has been on the minds of pundits and fans alike. The 6-foot-7 Texas A&M product has been recovering from dual offseason ankle surgeries. Although he apparently has been medically cleared to suit up for the past month, the 33-year-old is waiting until he feels physically ready to return to the hardwood long-term.

Read More: Bucks' Doc Rivers Reveals When Khris Middleton Will Return From Injury

Head coach Doc Rivers revealed on Friday that Middleton will miss the 9-9 Bucks' 19th game of the season, a Saturday night tilt against the 2-15 Washington Wizards, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

"He's not available tomorrow, but he's available soon, we hope," Rivers said. "Soon" isn't exactly a timeline, but it's at least somewhat encouraging as a vague metric.

Middleton has been a shell of his All-Star self across his last two, similarly injury-riddled seasons.

From 2017-22, he averaged 19.9 points on .464/.386/.884 shooting splits, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals across 355 bouts (352 starts), missing an average of just 7.2 games a year.

Across the last two seasons, the versatile two-way swingman has missed an average of 38 games a year, while logging a far more pedestrian stat line of 15.1 points on .471/.355/.865 shooting splits, 5.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 steals a night.

Middleton is still a more assertive scorer than his backup and current substitute starter, Taurean Prince. Signed to a veteran's minimum contract in free agency following an underwhelming 2023-24 run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Prince is averaging 8.6 points while slashing a hyper-efficient .491/.529/.778, along with 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals per bout.

Following a terrifying 2-8 season start, Rivers made some major tweaks to his rotation, demoting former starting shooting guard Gary Trent Jr., to the bench and prioritizing youth and defense.

At 9-9, the Bucks are currently the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, just 3.5 games behind the 14-7 Magic, the East's third seed. Andre Jackson Jr. has taken over at the two spot next to All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, while A.J. Green has essentially replaced Pat Connaughton as Rivers' bench scorer.

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