While most star players in the NBA are known by casual fans everywhere due to their popularity, exposure on national television, and kids sporting their jerseys all around the world, there are a few talented ballers who slip through the cracks of the national media and fly under the-radar.
Khris Middleton is one of those underrated players.
Similar to Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, Middleton has been playing for Team USA this summer. As the two have become leaders in the locker room for America's team, Middleton is hoping to take the skills he has learned with some of the world's best coaches and build on his All-Star campaign of last season, which would help him become more of a household name.
Here are three bold predictions for Middleton heading into the 2019-20 NBA season.
Middleton will score over 20 points per game
While Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been scoring at will in Milwaukee over the past few seasons, Middleton has quietly been the second-leading scorer.
A lanky wing who can shoot from all over the court, Middleton has averaged 15.7 points over his seven-year career. He has been able to capitalize on defenses crashing on The Greek Freak and rushing out to defend other shooters.
A second-round draft pick in 2012, Middleton has been able to excel by shooting at an efficient rate, shooting 45.1 percent from the field and nearly 39 percent from 3 over his career.
While he has only been able to eclipse 20 points per game once in his career, all the attention focused on the reigning MVP by opposing defenses will allow more opportunities by Middleton. Should he take the skills he has polished with Team USA this summer and boost those shooting percentages, he should be able to notch over 20 points per game.
Middleton will be named an All-Star for the second year in a row
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas recently spoke against Middleton being an All-Star, with his main argument being that Middleton's percentages were down and he got in mostly because he was on a successful team.
Middleton is out to silence doubters like Arenas this season, as the Bucks star has gained a lot of quality experience this summer for Team USA, which should come in handy in the 2019-20 NBA season. The experience gained playing for America's squad gives the former Texas A&M Aggie a leg up over many stars who declined to play for Team USA.
If Milwaukee is able to prove its 60-win season was not a fluke, the improved play of Middleton will be a huge part of that. Plus, with reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard moving to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference, that takes one player who plays the same position as Middleton out of the Eastern Conference All-Star picture.
Middleton will help the Bucks to another 1-seed in the East
While the Western Conference is yet again set to be the more dominant conference this season, the East is far from a talentless group, as squads like the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers will look to challenge Milwaukee for the throne.
Luckily for Milwaukee fans, the team was able to re-sign Middleton and Brook Lopez in the offseason to help keep most of the same core from last season. Former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon left for Indiana, but the Bucks still have a talented roster full of players who gained a lot of experience playing with each other in a successful 2018-19 campaign.
Combine that roster with an experienced coach in Mike Budenholzer and the projected improvement of Middleton and others, and the Bucks should stay atop the Eastern Conference in the 2019-20 NBA season and potentially years to come.
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