Bucks Zone

Former NBA vet reiterates importance of Khris Middleton in Bucks’ title hunt: "He was their closer when they won that championship"

Chandler Parsons had some insightful words about K-Mid’s value in the Bucks championship hunt.

Matthew Dugandzic

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As both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have massively carried the load for the Milwaukee Bucks this year, it left many to overlook the essence of Khris Middleton.

As it is, we couldn't blame the general disregard, as Khris spent most of the season on the team’s recovery chamber upon missing the Bucks’ 24 games. In addition, he was often subjected to strict minute restrictions, which ultimately led to reduced production on both ends of the floor.

Khris is the key

Even though he hasn’t played and contributed that much this 2023-24, that doesn’t take away the fact that Middleton will always remain an integral aspect in the Bucks’ championship hopes. From the viewpoint of former NBA veteran and current basketball analyst Chandler Parsons, Milwaukee’s chances to compete truly depend on the All-Star’s presence and play.

"[Khris Middleton] is the key,” he said in FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. “He was huge in the [Bucks] title run before, and he's huge now. He's been in and out he's been on a minute restriction. … It's a great luxury to have [him] because this is another guy — he was their closer when they won that championship. The ball was in his hands, he was the one to go get a bucket.”

Bucks’ title X-factor

The best representation of K-Mid’s importance was noticed on Saturday when the Bucks outlasted the Phoenix Suns, 140-129. Even coming off 16 straight games out from a sprained ankle, the star swingman powered Milwaukee even without Giannis Antetokounmpo by netting 22 points, seven assists, and three rebounds for 25 minutes. Interestingly, Khris didn’t show any signs of rust as he flashed his silky smooth offensive moves and lateral quickness.

While both Giannis and Dame are already expected to do their job, Khris’ performance is meanwhile where Milwaukee’s championship odds are seriously hanging in the balance. Bucks fans can certainly hope that Khash will finally be healthy in preparation for the upcoming postseason.

“Now so you see him kind of get back to his old ways and doing things like hitting step-backs, posting up smaller guys. It's just another dynamic that they have when they have Giannis going downhill, they have Dame stretching the floor defense. Now you have this guy who can kind of do a little bit of everything. It's huge,” Parsons concluded.

Report points to Khris Middleton as a starter who could derail the Milwaukee Bucks' title chances this season

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.