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#Post#: 57--------------------------------------------------
RT6 - Question 2 - Middleton Injury
DIR By: Tim Wray
Date: September 25, 2016, 9:08 pm
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Just days before training camp, Milwaukee was dealt a
devastating blow with the news that Khris Middleton has been
ruled out for six months with a torn left hamstring, requiring
surgery. How much does the loss of Middleton to injury for a
majority of the season de-rail the Bucks expectations for the
2016-17? Further, who should replace him as the primary starter
at the shooting guard position?
#Post#: 63--------------------------------------------------
Re: RT6 - Question 2 - Middleton Injury
DIR By: heffernon
Date: September 26, 2016, 11:15 am
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John H - To put it bluntly, the Middleton injury really sucks
for the Bucks. He is the glue that holds this team together and
allows Jabari and Giannis to share the floor together. In my
most recent piece I discuss how there may be an opportunity in
the midst of this poorly timed injury. That opportunity is for
Jabari and Giannis to truly take over the Bucks.
Who should replace Khris in the starting lineup is an
interesting question. Rashad Vaughn and Malcolm Brogdon probably
deserve the first crack at it. But they are both young,
inexperienced, and, for lack of a better word, a total
crap-shoot. If Brogdon's college skills translate to the pros
then he is the best replacement. He is the only one on the team
with the three-and-D skill set that Middleton had. Only there is
no way he is as good as Middleton at either of those two things
in his rookie year.
#Post#: 66--------------------------------------------------
Re: RT6 - Question 2 - Middleton Injury
DIR By: Rohan Katti
Date: September 26, 2016, 11:24 am
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Rohan K - The injury to Khris Middleton is absolutely terrible
for the Bucks. Throughout last season, he was their best player,
and they were not very good without him on the court. Before the
injury, the Bucks were still fighting for a playoff spot, and
now it will take Giannis and Jabari taking the leap in to super
stardom for the upcoming season to mean anything.
In my opinion, Malcom Brogdon should replace Khris at shooting
guard. Assuming he quickly adapts to the NBA, Brogdon's
defensive prowess is what's needed most because offensively,
Giannis and Jabari should start to carry the load.
#Post#: 72--------------------------------------------------
Re: RT6 - Question 2 - Middleton Injury
DIR By: adammcgee
Date: September 26, 2016, 9:54 pm
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Very simply, although Giannis and Jabari possess far greater
potential and could comfortably surpass Middleton in his
absence, on the evidence of last season, he's currently the best
player on the team. Expectations have gone out the window and
instead it's now more about what the Bucks could make of the
year. This injury not only leaves a gaping hole in their
starting five but disrupts rotations and shifts bench options
too. Middleton is rare as his strengths lie in opposition to
many of Milwaukee's biggest weaknesses, meaning that without him
there's a possibility those weaknesses could end up further
magnified.
In terms of replacements, I'm not in favor of starting a rookie
who was a second round pick on opening night, no matter how
experienced. As the season goes on, I'd love to see Brogdon in
position to take the spot, but let's not make him a scapegoat
from day one. As bad as it was, that one extra year of
experience gives Vaughn the edge for me. Vaughn's already the
scapegoat to a degree too, so in starting him I feel you've
really got nothing to lose. I'm also not opposed to Jason Terry
starting there, although I'd obviously prefer to see it used as
an opportunity to nurture youth. Just please avoid a Delly-MCW
starting backcourt combo.
#Post#: 77--------------------------------------------------
Re: RT6 - Question 2 - Middleton Injury
DIR By: JordanTreske
Date: September 27, 2016, 12:41 am
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It's an incredible blow for the Bucks' chances this year, even
though earning a possible playoff spot was hardly a guarantee.
Losing the linchpin of the team right before the start of
training camp certainly tempers expectations and it's pretty
easy to see the Bucks are without a player who can come close to
replicating Middleton's role and his production. With that
said, I'd lean towards Brogdon to assume the starting shooting
guard spot. I know that'd build lofty expectations for a second
round draft pick entering his rookie season, but I really think
it's something we'll eventually see at some point this season.
#Post#: 82--------------------------------------------------
Re: RT6 - Question 2 - Middleton Injury
DIR By: Tim Wray
Date: September 29, 2016, 7:28 am
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Immediately after reading Shams Charania’s tweet: "Khris
Middleton has suffered a torn hamstring and will undergo
surgery", my head fell into my hands, I assumed the fetal
position and began to cry. To me, the Bucks' realistic chance of
making the playoffs went up in smoke. This was only reaffirmed
further with the news that Middleton would miss the first five
months of next season. Giannis and Jabari get most of the media
spotlight, but make no mistake, there's little doubt that Khris
Middleton is Milwaukee's best player, arguably on both ends of
the floor. As Adam has pointed out, Middleton essentially
patches many of the Bucks biggest weaknesses on the floor with
his near-forty-percent three-point shooting and solid perimeter
defense. With this in mind, it's hard to see how the team will
fill this void in production adequately for a majority of the
season, assuming Khris returns for the final month of the
season. Similar to Rohan, I think it's going to take
near-All-Star level seasons from Giannis and Jabari to make much
of an improvement on last season's 35 wins, and even then,
Milwaukee's poor team defense will likely be a tough hurdle to
overcome.
Jason Kidd loves to experiment, so I wouldn't be surprised if
the shooting guard starting slot is constantly in flux. That
being said, I think Rashad Vaughn will get the first crack at
the starting job for opening night. Statistically, he's coming
off one of the worst rookie seasons in NBA history, but this
should be his chance to play significant minutes, throw up shots
and prove that he can be a valuable contributor for the Bucks. I
also think Malcolm Brogdon will get his opportunity to start,
especially given his reputation as a quality backcourt defender.
I'm also not ruling out the possibility of the two-point guard
lineup with Carter-Williams and Dellavedova (sorry Adam!) or
Jason Terry getting some starts throughout the season.
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