The Milwaukee Bucks are preparing for the start of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, and it is one they hope will be a dream season for them. They recently acquired future Hall of Fame guard Damian Lillard in a blockbuster trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, and it has made them, in the eyes of many, the favorites to win the world championship.
But one reasonable concern surrounding the team is the health of Khris Middleton. Dating back to the 2022 playoffs, he has struggled to stay healthy, and if his injury woes continue, they could be dealt a serious blow to their title hopes.
Middleton has yet to play in the preseason after having offseason knee injury. But Bucks general manager Jon Horst says he expects him “to play at some point in the preseason and definitely be ready for the start of the regular season.”
Last season, the forward didn’t make his season debut until early December due to offseason wrist surgery. He then went on the shelf again for about a month at midseason because of knee soreness.
NBA INJURY NEWS: Khris Middleton & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
During most of the 2022 playoffs, he was unable to play after spraining his MCL. Without him, Milwaukee fell in seven games to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The team still has much of the core that won it the NBA title in 2021, including Middleton, Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis Jr., Brook Lopez and, of course, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition, it has brought in Cameron Payne, a backup point guard who played for the Phoenix Suns when the Suns beat them in the 2021 NBA Finals.
NBA INJURY NEWS: Khris Middleton & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
With perhaps the game’s best star duo in Lillard and Antetokounmpo plus a strong supporting cast, perhaps only bad health can prevent the Bucks from returning to the championship series.
