The New Year period around the NBA is mostly relevant for the Christmas games and for the beginning of All-Star voting. On Christmas Day, the NBA opens up the voting process and the fans are able to select their starters for the All-Star game in February. This year, the All-Star Weekend will be held in Cleveland, and the discussions about potential starters have already begun. Most people have their picks already set up, and teams will be hoping to be represented. One of these teams is the current NBA champion, Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are hoping to go back to having two All-Stars just like in the 2019-20 season. To back their case, here are two Bucks players who need to be All-Stars.

Giannis Antetokounmpo 

The two-time MVP and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be an All-Star for the sixth season in a row. The Greek superstar has been a starter for all five previous times, and also captained his team on two occasions. It will be a coin flip between him and Kevin Durant for captaincy this year, as both are immensely popular and deserve a spot at the top of everyone's ballots. However, the Bucks will definitely have one All-Star starter.

Antetokounmpo is once again in conversations for MVP. After his Bucks started 6-8 and there was a ton of criticism, the Greek Freak turned on the afterburners. A couple of months later, the Bucks are a game behind the Bulls and the Nets for the first seed in the East. Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, on 53.3% shooting from the field. In his last 12 games, since the Bucks fell to 6-8, he averaged 28.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, on 58.1% shooting. This is earning him some major shouts in the MVP discussions.

In terms of the All-Star game, he is a surefire lock. His Bucks are around the top of the conference, he is the undisputed leader, and Antetokounmpo will be making another appearance in the All-Star game. In the season before this one, he even won the MVP of the All-Star game, which is a great achievement. Antetokounmpo has taken the league by storm in the last couple of years and he deserves another starter spot this season.

It will also be very fun to see who exactly gets the captaincy from the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo has been on a tear, but so has Durant on the Nets. Speaking from this perspective, the Bucks are still behind the Nets, but that can change in a few games, due to the small difference. In the end, it will probably be Antetokounmpo who edges the Durantula, as he has an immense international following from Europe.

Khris Middleton

Khris Middleton will not occupy the starter spot, but due to the Bucks being near the top of the Eastern Conference, he might snag a spot on the bench. Middleton already has two All-Star appearances, in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. He did not make the team last year, as the East was stacked with All-Star frontcourt talent such as Julius Randle, Domantas Sabonis, Jayson Tatum, and Nikola Vucevic. However, as Randle, Sabonis, and Vucevic are not making the team this year, Middleton might squeeze in again.

His averages this year are below the All-Star numbers he posted during the aforementioned two seasons. Still, in a Bucks team where Antetokounmpo is the surefire leader, Middleton is doing good for himself. He is averaging 18.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 42.2% from the field and 36.3% from three-point range. It is a far cry from his almost 50-40-90 season in 2019-20, but it is still good enough to beat the field in the East.

Right now, apart from the top three spots occupied by Durant, Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid, the Bucks forward might have a chance for his third selection. Jayson Tatum is most likely taking one spot, as is Jimmy Butler, but the two other spots will be contested by the likes of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Tobias Harris, and many more. With respect to all the players on this list and ones not mentioned, Middleton's Bucks are the premier team and that will definitely play a factor in the ultimate decision for All-Star reserves.

While not a starter, Middleton is definitely having another All-Star season. He is a perfect complimentary piece to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks could not have had a better player next to the Greek Freak. Of course, it is more than just these two, so the contribution of Jrue Holiday cannot be underestimated, but it is definitely visible that Antetokounmpo and Middleton are the ones who really deserve these All-Star spots.