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Bucks guard Khris Middleton’s latest injury update spells trouble for start of season

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints | By Josue Pavon | Last updated 10/16/24

Veteran shooting guard Khris Middleton, amidst another injury setback without a return date in sight for the Milwaukee Bucks, is ruled out for their preseason finale against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. After two off-season ankle surgeries, Middleton will miss the Bucks’ entire preseason schedule. Ahead of their trip to Dallas, head coach Doc Rivers said the next step for Khris is getting him back onto the floor at team practice, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm.

“It would help, obviously, but I’m just going to play it by ear,” Rivers said. “Khris has proven to me- last year- that when he comes back, he is 100 percent ready and has no practices. There are guys like that, and I’d say he’d be one of them. Would I like him to practice a couple of times? For sure.”

For now, he’s allowing the three-time All-Star to enter the upcoming season with an approach that works best for him. However, getting reps in a practice setting could be best for Milwaukee, which is coming off a first-round exit in last year’s playoffs and anticipating a deep postseason run in 2025.

Khris Middleton fires back at ‘injury-prone’ label

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers calls a play in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Fiserv Forum Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Doc Rivers is entering his first regular season with the Milwaukee Bucks, which could begin with his starting shooting guard, Khris Middleton, in street clothes on opening night. The injury to the Bucks veteran, who missed 27 games last season, hasn’t played in 66+ games in a regular season since his last All-Star campaign in 2021-22 but takes a lot of pride in his approach to basketball. At 33, Khris’ All-Star days are behind him, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have much left in the tank.

Middleton fired back at the “injury-prone” label he often falls under. It’s a reason for the 12-year veteran to block out any outside noise throughout his rehabilitation process, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm.

“I try not to read and look at that stuff, but yeah, the injury-prone stuff is frustrating because I feel like, for the most part, it’s just — I don’t want to say freak accidents — but just accidents, man. And I think when you say injury-prone, that goes to how you take care of your body,” Middleton said. “And I take a lot of pride in taking care of my body since day one that I’ve been here.

“So, no, I don’t think I’m injury-prone at all. I’ve just had unfortunate incidents that have happened on the basketball court, which is a wrong place, bad time type of thing,” Middleton concluded.

The Bucks will face the Mavs in their preseason finale on Thursday.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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