in

Khris Middleton Deserves an All-Star for Recognizing He Wasn’t One, Says Retired Vet

 

Getty Images

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton was named to his first All-Star team. Middleton averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 44.1 from the field, 37.8 from behind the arc, and 83.7 from the free-throw line per game according to Basketball-Reference.com.

Middleton averaged three fewer points this year, his field goal percentage is worse, his three-point is worse, his free-throw rate was worse, but he makes the All-Star team? Huh…How?  You can’t evaluate things off team success if the individual is not playing that great. Okay, Milwaukee is number one so, we are going to pick the two best players on the team to be in the All-Star game.

That is not how things are supposed to work. The second best player’s year is worse than the year before. If someone looked at the stats they would say how do we have an All-star this year because everything is down across the board,” Arenas told me.

During the 2017-18 season, Middleton averaged 20.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 51.7 from the field, 35.9 from behind the arc, and 88.4 from the free-throw line per game. The Milwaukee Bucks were in Dallas when the 2018-19 All-Star team participates were announced, and Middleton declined to answer any questions about his All-Star selection. He instructed the media to talk to his Bucks teammates instead.

“With that being said he deserves an All-Star for understanding he wasn’t one. You see how that works knowing that he personally didn’t deserve it because he was having a bad year. He knew it, so he gave the credit to his teammates. If it wasn’t for them winning, he wouldn’t have made it. Now to me, he is an All-Star for understanding that,” Arenas said.

Gilbert Arenas is a former multi-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards. During his ten years in the NBA, Arenas averaged 20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.

On June 29th, Heavy’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson reported that Middleton would likely return to Milwaukee on a max deal.

 

The next day, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, that Bucks retained the services of both Middleton and Brook Lopez. News of Lopez’s deal was published first as he signed a four-year deal worth $52 million that includes no option years. Then the details of Middleton’s deal came in as he signed a five-year deal worth $178 million to stay in Milwaukee.

According to Spotrac.com, Middleton will earn the bulk of his five-year deal in the last three of the contract and become an unrestricted free-agent in 2024.

This summer Middleton will represent Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup along with Donovan Mitchell, Brook Lopez, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, and Harrison Barnes.

Lopez and Middleton, both had games to forget as Team USA fell to Australia earlier today 94-90. The Australians snapped the USA’s 78-game win streak in the second friendly against Austria at Marvel Stadium. It is the first loss for the US in 13 years. 

What do you think?

Written by Landon Buford

Dr. J on Luka Doncic “He Is a Great Replacement for Dirk”

Kobe Bryant Has an Airline Endorsement Deal, Says NBA All-Star