MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks are moving Khris Middleton to the bench, coach Doc Rivers confirmed on Wednesday prior to the team's game against the San Antonio Spurs. Middleton, who missed the Bucks' win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday due to ankle tendinitis, is still trying to work himself back from double ankle surgery in the offseason.
Rivers met with Middleton on Sunday to explain the move, according to Chris Haynes, which comes as the team is trying to find continuity with its starting lineup. Taurean Prince, who started in Middleton's place against the Raptors, will remain in the starting lineup.
The 33-year-old Middleton has dealt with extensive injury problems since the 2022 playoffs, when he sprained the MCL in his left knee. Since then, he has played just 100 regular season games and undergone surgeries on his left wrist, right knee and both ankles.
Middleton has been battling the ankle tendinitis that sidelined him Monday since his return. Rivers was emphatic that removing him from the starting lineup was a health-based decision rather than anything about Middleton's on-court performance.
Rivers said Middleton's ankle is "not improving to the place he wants or we want." Rivers added that the team is going to continue monitoring the situation and for now they are "cutting his minutes back a little bit."
"I think we're thinking about this way too much, I'm just being honest," Rivers said. "The bottom line is he's just not moving every night the way you like him to. One night, you see he's moving great, one night he's not. His minutes go up and down with the way we want to do this medically, and it's just a tough go for him."
Prior to the season, the Bucks were insistent that Middleton had only undergone "normal offseason clean-up procedures" and he told The Athletic that "having a successful season out there is playing damn near 82 games." He continued, "Anything below 70, 75 games, no, I do not consider that a successful season for me."
But as the key dates came and went -- preseason, opening night, the quarter-mark of the season -- Middleton was nowhere to be seen, despite reports that he had been "medically cleared" for a period of time. Finally, he made his season debut against the Boston Celtics on Dec. 6.
Middleton came off the bench in his first five games before returning to the starting lineup in a win over the Washington Wizards. He has largely put up strong numbers as a starter, averaging 15.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 51.2% shooting from the field, including 45.5% from behind the arc.
A poor record and a surprising trend
Rivers and the Bucks made this decision because of Middleton's health, not his play, but the two are interconnected and it's impossible to ignore some of the trends since he's returned to action.
The Bucks are just 3-4 with Middleton in the starting lineup, with losses to the openly tanking Brooklyn Nets (twice), Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers. Their primary starting lineup of Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez and Andre Jackson Jr. has a minus-10.6 net rating during that stretch, albeit in 31 minutes. That's a super small sample size, but the early returns from a group that old and lacking in athleticism have not been positive.
Furthermore, since Middleton's first game back on Dec. 6, the Bucks have really struggled when he's on the floor alongside Antetokounmpo and Lillard. Over that time span, there have been 408 three-man lineups that have spent at least 95 minutes on the court together. The Middleton-Antetokounmpo-Lillard combo is tied for 302nd in net rating at minus-5.6 in 96 minutes.
That same group crushed opponents to the tune of a plus-17.5 net rating in 758 minutes last season, but most of those minutes came under Adrian Griffin, not Rivers, and all were before Middleton underwent double ankle surgery. It's hard to expect them to get back to that level if Middleton isn't moving well. This change may limit the minutes they share together, but should keep Middleton fresher for when they do arise.
