The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament on Thursday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Much of the spotlight will certainly be on Milwaukee's superstar duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who are slowly building their chemistry together. Together, they will look to lead Milwaukee to the championship round.
While the Bucks enter Las Vegas as the odds-on favorites to win the NBA In-Season Tournament, they should not take this young up-start Pacers team lightly. Tyrese Haliburton has arguably been the best point guard in basketball this season and yes, that means he's been better than Lillard this year at least. But Indiana just isn't a one-man wrecking crew. The Pacers have a ton of depth surrounding Haliburton and anybody can pop off on any given night. They also boast the best offense in the NBA this season.
Nonetheless, the Bucks will need more than Giannis and Dame to carry them to the NBA Cup. They will need to incorporate more variety in their offense, and that means getting other guys involved. Brook Lopez is having a spectacular season so far and has emerged as the team's third-leading scorer behind Antetokounmpo and Lillard. Likewise, he has been holding down the fort, especially on the defensive end, averaging a league-leading 2.8 blocks per game.
Malik Beasley is also having a surprisingly good season so far and has become one the Bucks' more consistent pieces. On the season, he is averaging 12.1 points while shooting a career-best 46.0 percent from three.
Nonetheless, while those two role players in the starting lineup are playing well, they aren't Milwaukee's X-Factors heading into this game versus the Pacers. That distinction belongs to All-Star forward Khris Middleton.
Bucks X-Factor for NBA In-Season Tournament: Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton used to be the Bucks' second most important player behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. But with the arrival of Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez's increased value as a rim protector, and Middleton's slow start to the season due to injury recovery, the three-time All-Star's role has diminished this season. But while that may be the case, Middleton still remains a valuable piece for the Bucks in their hopes to win a championship.
The 32-year-old is coming an injury-riddled 2022-23 campaign that saw him play just 33 games and come off the bench in 14 of them. He had a myriad of injuries during the season, most notably with his knee as he suffered an MCL sprain in the 2021 playoffs. He was going through knee issues throughout the season, and even missed 18 consecutive games due to knee soreness. Middleton simply didn't look like himself.
Middleton underwent offseason knee surgery. As such, the Bucks are making sure his road to recovery goes well. They have placed him under a strict minutes restriction to begin the season. Nonetheless, he has remained productive in limited minutes.
Middleton has appeared in 17 of Milwaukee's 21 games (all starts) this season so far. But he is averaging just 21.1 minutes per game. Middleton is turning in 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 46.4 percent from the field.
He is just Milwaukee's fifth leading scorer on the team so far. Nonetheless, he still contributes in other aspects, especially with his rebounding and playmaking. On a per 36 minutes basis, those numbers account to 20.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists, which is within Middleton's typical production.
Nonetheless, Middleton is slowly but surely regaining his form. Even with a minutes limit, he should play a huge role in Milwaukee's pursuit of the NBA Cup.
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