Khris Middleton Thread

[Bucksfan28]

If Khris makes the 50/40/90 club I think he'll definitely get an all-NBA nod.

[crkone]

https://theathletic.com/1644970/2020/02/29/bucks-all-star-khris-middleton-and-the-art-of-being-shot-ready/

Player development and shooting coaches often refer to the ability to maintain proper fundamentals while under the duress of an NBA game as “shot readiness.” Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks is one of the game’s masters at achieving this amid defense, fatigue and all the other factors that make shooting in a game so different from shooting in an empty gym.

His proficiency as an outside shooter is reflected in a wide array of statistics. The 1.16 points per possession that he generates on his jump shot is the best mark in the league for a player with his shot volume. More remarkably, a significant portion of these shots are off of the game’s most difficult attempts — drifting in either direction, pulling up off of the dribble, with a hand in his face — and sometimes all of the above.

Synergy Sports tracks jumpers as “guarded” vs. “unguarded,” and Middleton is the best player in the NBA in the former category. He registers 1.48 points per possession on “guarded” attempts, a staggering figure that’s on par with a player making 49.3 percent of his 3-pointers.

Yet “guarded” is a bit inaccurate when describing many of these shots because of how Middleton expertly identifies moments of defensive weakness and exploits them. He may technically be considered as “guarded” because of the proximity of the nearest defender, but functionally speaking, he is often open even when there is a defender right next to him. That is because he achieves shot readiness as well as anyone his size in the NBA, regardless of the action that precedes the shot attempt. Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant are the only players who can rival him in this respect.

Zayas goes through a bunch of Middleton clips on his shot.

[emunney]

Hope Middleton has a speedy recovery from the effects of Giannis surgically removing Khris' baseline fadeaway.

[Shaffty]

Bump.

The man looks a half step quicker and its made all the difference.

7-10 free throws a game makes him a 26-28 ppg guy.

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

[chonestown]

Bump.

The man looks a half step quicker and its made all the difference.

7-10 free throws a game makes him a 26-28 ppg guy.

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

The handles are tighter, too, and his footwork is immaculate. His game should age well.

[theFireBlanket]

Conditioned Middleton is a beast.

[KidA24]

If Khris makes the 50/40/90 club I think he'll definitely get an all-NBA nod.

Voting is already done on that.

[machu46]

If Khris makes the 50/40/90 club I think he'll definitely get an all-NBA nod.

Voting is already done on that.

That post was from February

[KidA24]

If Khris makes the 50/40/90 club I think he'll definitely get an all-NBA nod.

Voting is already done on that.

That post was from February

Hey, so what if I can't read dates!

[tedbrogen]

Conditioned Middleton is a beast.

Weren't there some articles about Middleton wanting to get in better shape after last season? He definitely seems it.

It is often ignored that when they first hired Bud he met with Giannis AND Middleton. Bud clearly knew before he got here that Midds could be an all-NBA type player (It's why he now allows Midds to work completely outside of Bud's offensive concepts). Which is more than Hammond and Kidd thought as they tried to trade Middleton and Martin B. for the Flat-Earth King.

[WRau1]

I want more McCollum vs Middleton debates.

[jute2003]

Nobody honestly believed that he would decide to start caring about conditioning in his 28/29 yo season and improve overall. If they say they did, they are lying.

He has though. That time spent with Team USA seems to have ignited a bit of competitive spirit in him and he has been good for most of the season. He even looks great in the bubble after the layoff. He still has bouts of questionable defensive effort but nowhere near like what he has had in the past.

So far, I was wrong about his contract extension and his play after getting paid. I am happy to be wrong and hope he continues making my posts from years past look stupid.

[coolhandluke121]

I don't think it was ever about contracts with Khris. If it was, he would have been in shape last year to maximize his free agent earnings. I think it's two things:

1. Playing all summer helped him stay in shape.
2. I think he's the type of guy who needed a taste of success to be more motivated. Let's face it; they weren't looking like a future contender any time soon in Kidd's/Prunty's last year, despite Giannis being a mega-star. Some people are motivated by failure or money, but some are motivated by having success and realizing how good it feels.

[DingleJerry]

Yea how close they were last year and knowing they really should have won has to really get you amped up to succeed and do it this year. If you're a middling team and you can make your 25 mil without working extra hard, and you being a notch better is just gonna mean 6 seed instead of 8, well then whatever. If you're this close though, you have to give it your all. Giannis' energy and personality has to really be a motivator for everyone too.

[H2tObes]

Crazy last year or so for Khris, this is a cultivation of many things in my opinion. Khris has had a kid, played for team USA for the first time, was a couple bounces away from playing for a championship, signed the largest contract in Bucks history, and is getting to the age and skill level where he can start thinking about the legacy he can leave if he were to win a title as a 2nd fiddle. Basically the planets have aligned for Khris here

Supreme said yesterday how funny it would be if Khris were to win finals MVP, I'm sure thoughts like that have came to Khris's mind as well, because it definitely is a possibility. He has motivation coming in from everywhere

[giannis and 1]

I became a Bucks fan in the summer of 2016 and I have heard a lot about how great Middleton was before his injury but unfortunately have never seen that player.

How does he compare now to then? What is he better at now? Just more consistent? And are there still any areas that he isn't as good at as he once was like athleticism, defence, etc.

[giannis and 1]

Bump.

The man looks a half step quicker and its made all the difference.

7-10 free throws a game makes him a 26-28 ppg guy.

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

The handles are tighter, too, and his footwork is immaculate. His game should age well.

Seems like he's worked a lot on his ball handling since last years playoffs.

[emunney]

I don't think it was ever about contracts with Khris. If it was, he would have been in shape last year to maximize his free agent earnings. I think it's two things:

1. Playing all summer helped him stay in shape.
2. I think he's the type of guy who needed a taste of success to be more motivated. Let's face it; they weren't looking like a future contender any time soon in Kidd's/Prunty's last year, despite Giannis being a mega-star. Some people are motivated by failure or money, but some are motivated by having success and realizing how good it feels.

Given he just had 4+ months off and game back in even better shape, I would think it's mostly 2.

[ReasonablySober]

I became a Bucks fan in the summer of 2016 and I have heard a lot about how great Middleton was before his injury but unfortunately have never seen that player.

How does he compare now to then? What is he better at now? Just more consistent? And are there still any areas that he isn't as good at as he once was like athleticism, defence, etc.

I think he's mostly the same player, but a bit quicker. More confidence to pull up. Middleton's been really great ever since he joined the Bucks.

[Chuck Diesel]

Before the season I said Middleton had to be better than every wing in the east besides Butler and Beal. He’s been so much better offensively than Butler and so much better defensively than Beal. Unreal. Props to Kash.