Khris Middleton's Struggles in Conference Finals Becoming the Norm

The Milwaukee Bucks should start getting worried about Khris Middleton. In Game 1, he had another bad game, shooting 6-for-23. It would be one thing if Middleton was facing a tough defensive opponent or if he was forced to carry the offensive load and was forced into bad shots.

However, the Hawks are without De'Andre Hunter, one of their best defenders, and these kinds of games are more common than they should be for a No. 2 option on a championship team. 

If you play enough playoff games, you are bound to have a couple off nights. In Middleton’s case, that happens once every four games. In 25% of his playoff games, he has shot 33% or less from the field. When those numbers get magnified under the lense of the Conference Finals, Middleton has shot that poorly in four out of his seven conference finals games. 

Before this series, it looked as if Middleton had turned a corner. He was scoring at an high and efficient rate against the Nets, playing a very big part in the Bucks’ comeback. I

t looked as if the Bucks had their guy to go toe-to-toe with anybody in the league alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. So much so that I predicted that Middleton would average over 25 points per game in this series. While that is still possible, it seems unlikely at this point. 

Middleton’s bad shooting nights are becoming something to expect and look out for rather than a simple bad game. They are becoming part of who Middleton is and that doesn’t bode well for Milwaukee. 

WynnBET has Middleton’s player prop for points set at 23.5, with the over odds (-112) favoring the under (-108). Even if Middleton reaches his mark, the efficiency is what matters. He needs to get his shooting woes under control because if he doesn’t, the Bucks will have more questions this offseason than answers.