Bucks' Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton injury updates tell 2 different stories
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The Milwaukee Bucks are riding the high of a thrilling overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. The cold streak-snapping victory was spearheaded by a 59-point performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Antetokounmpo’s help for Milwaukee’s Nov. 16 matchup against the Charlotte Hornets has received a mixed bag of injury updates centered around Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton.
Lillard was ruled out of the Bucks’ Nov. 12 Raptors game due to concussion protocol and has since been recovering. There is hope that by Saturday’s Hornets game, Lillard could be cleared from protocol, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday.
However, Middleton’s update tells a different story.
“The big worry in Milwaukee is Khris Middleton. His absence has been deafening for this team. He’s supposed to be your third star. He’s supposed to be the guy that when one of those other stars are struggling, he’s going to be the one to step up, and he has not even progressed to five-on-five yet. [The Bucks] are not sure exactly when he’s going to go to five-on-five,” Charania added.
“[Middleton’s] absence essentially has been much longer than team officials have anticipated. But they are hopeful here over the next couple of weeks, get him on a couple five-on-fives and, and hopefully he can progress to a return.”
Middleton has yet to make his 2024-25 Bucks debut. During the 2023-24 season, the veteran forward averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds on a 38.1 percent three-point shooting clip.
As Charania mentioned, Middleton adds a unique dynamic to Milwauuee’s offense as another reliable option. Hopefully, he can continue to progress to getting back on the court alongside Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have struggled early on in the season, but once their stars are fully healthy, there is a strong chance they could go on a run and climb back toward the top of the Eastern Conference.
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