The latest statements from Giannis Antetokounmpo opening the door to a potential departure logically continue to be talked about on the Milwaukee side. And Khris Middleton was notably invited to react. It must be said that the Bucks winger is one of the main concerns since if the “Greek Freak” wants to play for the title or leave, this could imply that Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and company are not qualified enough for the title. assist him in the long term, or will simply no longer be there to support him.
But the person concerned did not take these remarks badly, seeing them rather as the state of mind of an ambitious player, who wants to give himself the means to return to the top. And who above all wants to keep everyone under pressure.
“He puts pressure on himself to improve”
“It doesn’t affect me personally. I don’t think it affects us as a team. It’s something he says almost every year during contract extension negotiations.”, did he declare. “We still want him to come back, that’s for sure. Everyone should know this. We want him to come back because he is one of the best players in the world, and in the history of the franchise. So when he says things like that, I think he just wants to challenge the team, the franchise, to continue to put us in a position to win titles. He just wants to continue to put pressure on everyone. And this is also the case for himself. He doesn’t just point the finger at others and say ‘You have to do this for me.’ He puts pressure on himself to improve, to be excellent every year. So there’s no added pressure when he tells us as a team, or me, that I have to be better.”
“We have a good number of years left where we can play at a high level and be a title contender”
For Khris Middleton, this is not the time for major upheaval at the Bucks. The latter believes that Milwaukee still has the weapons to get involved in the fight for the title as it currently stands, particularly with the trio he makes up with Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez to support Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Even though he is in his 32nd year and his two sidekicks are respectively 33 and 35 years old, the winger sees the lieutenants of the “Greek Freak” still achieving great things in the years to come.
“I think these two still have a few years ahead of them to play at a high level and prove themselves,” he added. “I know Jrue is a guy who still has a lot left in the tank, regardless of his age. He’s like Brook, and I hope he’s excited to come back, sign an extension and be with us for a few more years. Because I think we have a team that can continue to play, to be competitive. I wish I could say that we could play until we were 40. But I think we have a good number of years left where we can play at a high level and be a title contender.”.
| Khris Middleton | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | DET | 27 | 18 | 44.0 | 31.1 | 84.4 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 6.1 |
| 2013-14 | MIL | 82 | 30 | 44.0 | 41.4 | 86.1 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 12.1 |
| 2014-15 | MIL | 79 | 30 | 46.7 | 40.7 | 85.9 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 13.4 |
| 2015-16 | MIL | 79 | 36 | 44.4 | 39.6 | 88.8 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 18.2 |
| 2016-17 | MIL | 29 | 31 | 45.0 | 43.3 | 88.0 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 14.7 |
| 2017-18 | MIL | 82 | 36 | 46.6 | 35.9 | 88.4 | 0.6 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 20.2 |
| 2018-19 | MIL | 77 | 31 | 44.1 | 37.8 | 83.7 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 18.3 |
| 2019-20 | MIL | 62 | 30 | 49.7 | 41.5 | 91.6 | 0.7 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 20.9 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 68 | 33 | 47.6 | 41.4 | 89.8 | 0.8 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 20.4 |
| 2021-22 | MIL | 66 | 32 | 44.3 | 37.3 | 89.0 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 20.1 |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 33 | 24 | 43.6 | 31.5 | 90.2 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 15.1 |
| Total | 684 | 31 | 45.7 | 38.8 | 88.2 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 17.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
