Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (center) sits next to guard Damian Lillard (left) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
MILWAUKEE – Khris Middleton participated in practice with the Milwaukee Bucks early Wednesday as the veteran forward continued his recovery from offseason surgery on both ankles.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said he could understand if Middleton was frustrated about missing his 21st straight game, this time against the Atlanta Hawks.
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Rivers had said several times in recent weeks that he and his staff thought the three-time All-Star was close to making his season debut. On Wednesday, he said the situation was likely taking a mental toll on Middleton at this point.
READ: NBA: Khris Middleton joins Giannis on Bucks’ injured list
“Anyone who wants to play, and Khris is one of them, is frustrated,” Rivers said. “It’s a mental challenge. You see how your team is playing and although we are playing well at the moment, I can imagine that when we were really struggling and he wasn’t playing it must have been really difficult for him. You want to help your team and he knows he can.”
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The Bucks opened the season 2-8. Now they’re on a seven-game winning streak and their record has improved to 11-9, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
Middleton took part in a five-on-five session Wednesday morning.
READ: NBA: Bucks confident they can compete again if they stay healthy
“If it felt right, of course he would play,” Rivers said. “There is no answer. He works his butt off and does everything he’s supposed to do. He still has to get on the ground. We have a feeling that’s coming soon, and you’ve heard it before. We just hope it happens really soon.”
When healthy, the 33-year-old Middleton has shown the ability to be a significant contributor, despite playing in just 55 games last season due to injuries and just 33 games in the 2022-23 season.
Rivers said it’s obvious that Middleton, who spent 11 of his 12-year NBA career with the Bucks and was a key cog on the 2021 team that won its first NBA title in 50 years, is eager to get back on track to come to the place.
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“I don’t think this is an easy task for Khris,” Rivers said. “I would rather play in a game than in a group of five on the morning of a game, I know that. I think that’s hard.”