When the Bucks stumbled out of the gate at 2-8, the team said they didn’t panic partly because they were not whole — Khris Middleton wasn’t healthy. The former All-Star forward had surgery on both ankles this summer and has yet to take the court for the team.
However, he has been medically cleared and is ramping up to come back, Shams Charania reports at ESPN. His exact phrasing was, “Khris Middleton has been medically cleared for a period of time but is still working to feel physically ready for his season debut.” Doc Rivers put it this way speaking to the media.
That is no timeline, but it sounds like Middleton is nearing a return, which would be good for the Bucks’ offense, it could use another shot creator. That said, there is no rush partly because the Bucks have been getting solid play on the wings of A.J. Green, Gary Trent Jr. and Andre Jaxson.
Two seasons ago when healthy enough to play 66 games, Middleton was an All-Star who averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds a game, plus played solid defense. The questions around him have been whether he can ever get healthy enough again to play at that level, last season he averaged 15.1 points a game in 55 games.
The Bucks have used a soft spot in the schedule and inspired play from Giannis Antetokounmpo to win 4-of-5 and start to right the ship (there was a quality win against Houston in that mix). That relatively soft schedule continues for a couple more weeks, which is time for both the Bucks to get right and to work Middleton back into the rotation before the harder tests start up again. Still, there is no timeline for when Middleton will feel comfortable enough to retake the court.
