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Giannis Antetokounmpo says the Milwaukee Bucks need Khris Middleton to do it all

Khris Middleton will play a crucial role for the Bucks this season.

Jonas Panerio

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Having two bona fide stars in today's NBA may not be enough to win it all. A team needs to have a third guy who can come in and fill the gaps on any given night. For the Milwaukee Bucks, that third guy is Khris Middleton. Giannis Antetokounmpo recently told reporters that the team needs Middleton to do it all – score, distribute the ball, hit shots from deep, and more if the Bucks are to win it all this season.

Showed what he can do

Middleton reminded everyone of what he can do in the Bucks' last game against the Houston Rockets. Renowned for his shotmaking skills in crunchtime, the former Texas A&M star scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help put away the pesky Rockets. After the game, Giannis remarked this is precisely what they need from the veteran wingman.

"He knows how to play the game of basketball, and now there's going to be times that he has to do a little bit of everything. And there's going to be sometimes that he has to just catch-and-shoot," Giannis said.

"There's going to be sometimes that he has to play off the dribble. There's going to be sometimes that he has to take over in the fourth quarter. He's capable of doing all of those things because he's done it in his career, and he's really good at it."

Evolution of Khris' game

A Bucks since the 2013-2014 season, Middleton has come a long way. A "3-and-D" wingman early in his career, Khris has improved his all-around game since then. His ability to hit clutch shots and make plays off the dribble have become critical components of his skill set, making him a truly versatile player who can be counted on in crunch time.

Giannis and Khris have been teammates for a decade, so the former has seen the evolution of Middleton's game first-hand.

"I feel like early in his career, 3-and-D guy, catch-and-shoot," Antetokounmpo shared.

"Obviously, always he could shoot a mid-range. I don't know if he was shooting it early in his career in the game, but at practices, he was always capable of shooting the mid-range really well.

"Now, he can take the ball, also play-make. Early in his career — my third year, fourth year with him, so his fourth and fifth year when J-Kidd was here — he didn't have the ball so much in his hand, but moving forward, then he had the ball more in his hand. Then in the fourth quarter, he was the the guy that was leading the group. Like, he's touched pretty much everything."

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO