Milwaukee Bucks assign Khris Middleton to Wisconsin Herd in next step to return from injury

The Milwaukee Bucks assigned Khris Middleton and Wesley Matthews to the Wisconsin Herd on Monday. The move marks another step for Middleton as he works his way back from offseason surgery. Here’s what you need to know.

Middleton was expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season rehabbing an offseason wrist injury.
He had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his wrist after spraining his MCL in Game 2 of the first round.
Middleton missed the last 10 games of the Bucks’ playoff run due to the injury.

Backstory

Middleton appears to be inching closer to making his regular season debut after recovering from wrist surgery. Middleton was recalled from the G League’s Wisconsin Herd earlier this month but was sent back down on Monday.

Matthews is set to miss a third straight game Monday night with hamstring soreness. He’ll continue his rehab with the Herd.

The Bucks take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. Milwaukee is 11-4 overall and 8-1 at home after falling short against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

What they’re saying

Head coach Mike Budenholzer said Sunday that Middleton was “able to do a little bit” at the team’s most recent practice.

“He’s been making progress, probably steady and slow. Today was another good day. We’ll just continue to see how he feels tomorrow. Hopefully, he can be doing a little bit more each day.”

Budenholzer said it’s not just the wrist that needs healing but “everything.”

“You gotta be completely healthy, and conditioning and shape and all those things … he’s pushing it.”

How Middleton could help Bucks’ offense

While the Bucks are 11-4 in their first 15 games this season, they have struggled mightily offensively thus far and getting Middleton back on the floor could help significantly on that end of the floor. After being a top-five offensive team last season, the Bucks are currently scoring just 109.3 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 23rd in the NBA.

Last year, in his third All-Star season, Middleton averaged 20.1 points and 5.4 assists per game. He is obviously one of the Bucks’ best scorers, but he has also been the Bucks’ primary pick-and-roll partner for Giannis Antetokounmpo, which has led to a number of easy buckets for the two-time MVP. Middleton’s return should make the offense flow much better.

What does Middleton need to do to return?

Middleton’s left wrist was the injury that kept him off the floor, but Budenholzer made it clear on Sunday that getting Middleton back in the lineup is requiring him to work on “everything” and specifically mentioned his conditioning and shape. The Herd do not play again until Saturday, so Middleton will not be suiting up for the G-League, but getting to practice with the G-League team on Monday will give him a chance to get closer to game shape and his season debut.

Required reading

(Photo: Benny Sieu / USA Today)