Him being underrated is no doubt what makes him special. He really is the most ideal second man out there. Underrated but will make it happen when he needs to.
He’s about as weak of a 2nd option you can have and still win a championship. Clearly jrue is the 2nd best player, but Middleton is the 2nd scoring option, and if not for Giannis being the best player, that wouldn’t work. Take Giannis off this roster and they fight for a play in spot. Warriors are a bit different cuz they have 3 guys who could be the 2nd scoring option at any moment, and have the deepest roster on top of that. Middleton is not underrated. He’s slowly becoming overrated if people don’t realize what he is. People acting like he closer to Kevin Durant than A solid pull up guy who can shoot 3s pretty well and play ok defense. His assists are pretty much just making the extra pass, which is very valuable but let’s not act like he could playmake if he needed to. There was a reason everybody thought Giannis should leave before he won. With all that being said, they clearly would’ve beat the Celtics if he were available. But it being so close shows that he is replaceable to a degree.
@@YodaSmokes wrong Middleton is the 2nd best player and the most clutch player by far. Not jrue who wouldn’t hit a shot in the finals or against Boston. Without khris they don’t even advance past that injured nets team. It was his duels in the clutch against kd that won them that series. You can speak to how replaceable you think he is but the fact remains he was on the team and they wouldn’t have won without him.
@@YodaSmokes "Let's not act like he could play-make if he needed to"??? Actually if you look at his stats when Giannis is out he ALWAYS puts up big numbers. Look at game 5 and 6 against Atlanta in ECF. That fits the definition of "needing to" play-make and he did. He also has a long history of coming up big in the clutch to make huge shots. He's actually far and away the best shot creator on the Bucks. He can literally always get you a good look in an iso situation. Always. Not sure what ur smoking saying its obvious Jrue is their 2nd best player?? Not sure Jrue even has the ability to completely take over a game when he's hot. Middleton does. I promise if you took him and made him the go to guy on a shyt team he'd average around 26-27 ppg. In fact, your entire post proves the narrative correct that he's underrated
He has the perfect situation. Only players and front office know how good he is so he will always be paid and wanted. As a second option, he’ll always be behind Giannis in scrutiny and pressure. This is the most comfortable position to be in as a star in the NBA
@@amari5850 As a Bucks fan in wisconsin - he'll never be forgotten. Some have suggested the bucks build a statue of the starting 5 outside the building and they may well some day, and a few stragglers said you can't honor 22 - that's Michael Redds number. Most bucks fans laugh. Sure Redd was the best player on the bucks for a number of seasons, but he's not really on Middleton's level. If this bucks squad goes on to win 1 or 2 more titles, Middleton and Jrue alike will be hard to just "not be given some credit". They won't get the attention of Giannis, but eventually when you start to win multiple rings people notice how good the other parts are around you. It's crazy the Bucks #2 and #3 players are both considered to be elite level players in their own right, and both are massively undervalued by most NBA fans.
Khris Middleton is probably one of the best championship level second options in the league. He's basically a 50/40/90 guy that can work as a main shot creator to alleviate the load off your best player, can also be another ball handler when plays go south, and also is a pretty elite defender. Anyone saying this man is not an all star is just straight up clueless
I mean he’s definitely efficient, but not 50/40/90. At least not the 50%, but still great efficiency. However, his defense is not near elite. It’s good, but there’s a large difference between good and elite. And I mean everyone knows he’s an all star level player, but he’s not a lock for it every year. There’s only 12 spots a conference, and there’s lots of talent in the league who simply just take up way more volume than 20 ppg.
@@Time_Lapse_Master. You're not wrong about the volume - the primary difference between Middleton and PG13 offensively is, indeed, volume. And sure, PG13's defensive metrics are just flat better than Middletons. Middleton is still an above average defender and can borderline on being a really good defender, but Geroge is jus ta step above that. this would make you think PG13 is a better player. But is he? Lets set aside career accomplishments, because it's hard to argue against a ring a gold medal for one, and more all stars for the other. Just comparing the players today (not taking in past seasons); Middleton shoots a better percentage from the floor on less shots (so he's more effecient), and while both drop dimes at a similar rate of late, Paul George also turns it over a lot more. MIddleton has a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio, George is like 1.3 to 1. This suggests he's a lot sloppier with the ball. Also, in general, George has never been able to serve that #2 role well. He's not good enough to really be the #1 and win a ring, but also his playstyle isn't that great for a #2 either. The offense tends to "stop" when he gets the ball, which is the opposite of Middleton. It's part of what makes middletons role as the #2 so unique. As for which player is better? I think a lot of people, most NBA fans, would tell you Paul George is better. I also think most NBA execs would tell you they would rather have Middleton for a few reasons. Besides his insane health throughout his career, the way he plays is a style that ages well. George is 32. Middleton is 31, and at those ages athleticism slowly begins to leave you and then what you're left with on the floor is what you can do with it as it fades. Middleton isn't reliant on athleticism for almost anything he does, even defensively, he just shuffles his feet and anticipates moves. He has a "old man" style of play, and old man styles have always aged very gracefully in the NBA. I think Paul George is probably the better player. But both had the exact same PER last year - and George was in the role of the #1. The big leap was win shares. George had 1.3. Middltone was 5+. So Middletons is effecting winning at a significantly greater rate than George last season. What I learned is: You can't really go wrong with either, but Middleton has proven his comfort zone in the #2 role. What George did last post season is great, but he's never been able to do that as a #2.
@@hyperhooperbasketball Giannis was not in the top 100 recruit on his draft batch. He's clearly underrated he was not in the radar. The Bucks saw his potential and made a wager.
I’m a diehard Bucks fan, and Giannis is obviously one of the best to ever do it, he’s incredible. But I always say Khris is my favorite player. The way he plays the game, his ability to hit clutch shots, the way he represents our team in such a positive way, and maybe most importantly, the fact that he went from a 2nd round G-Leaguer to an NBA Champ. I love seeing content like this, and I’ll echo what another commenter said: Seeing KMidd finally get recognized for his immense talent during last year’s playoff run was one of the most satisfying things for me
He’s one of my favorite players in the league. He reminds me a lot of Klay Thompson before his injury a few years ago, mainly the conversation around klay at the time being, yes he’s clearly the number 2 option BUT he immediately and undoubtedly improves any roster that he gets added to simply because he does so many things at a high level. I mean he’s no slouch defensively even if he’s more focused on his offensive output and the dude can straight up give you 25/8/6 just about any night and the scariest thing is he doesn’t even have to for his team to win games
Really appreciate you doing a feature on Khris. As someone who's been a big bucks fan whose followed this current core from before their All-Star days, it felt incredibly satisfying seeing Khris finally get his due during the title run. Felt like NBA media went from being totally convinced that the Bucks only had mediocre players who only looked better than they actually were next to Giannis to going way too far the other direction in the span of one series.
Excellent breakdown, this really shows why the Celtics went to the Finals and not the Bucks. Middleton can score and run the offense so Giannis doesn't have to do everything (like he did against the Celtics). Middleton is like what Shaun Livingston was for the Warriors, but as a starter and an All Star.
This is why I think that the Bucks could’ve gotten to their next ring if Khris was healthy. Since he wasn’t we lost in 7. If he was we would have won in 5 or 6.
Bucks team needs to seal the deal with another chip or all outside of MKE is forgotten. Khris will always be one of my favorites. He’s a humble working man. 2nd round draft pick no one cared about to a consistent problem for opponents year after year. He’s loyal and lives with critics that break guys like Kyrie and Ben Simmons. He’s the ultimate Milwaukee hero to those of us understanding the reality of the level these guys play at.
This whole video sums up exactly why Khris is one of my favorite players in the whole league. An unselfish shot creator who can defend and create for others, an ideal second option for a guy who might be the best player in the league.
2016 Finals got me into basketball, despite already being in my mid 20’s. I got super lucky that my hometown team ended up having the future best player in the league and the most successful G league player ever (no offense Siakam).
Oh man thank you thank you thank you! What an awesome video and description! I truly haven't seen almost any videos saying how underrated this guy is and that's so so sad. Thank you again!
I was saying this about Khris for years, but almost regularly this gets understood as "Giannis hate". No healthy Khris, no title for Bucks. It's that simple
Celtics fans have to hate Khris. Any of them that thinks "Middleton being healthy wouldn't have mattered' must forget how much Khris has historically destroyed that franchise in the post season. Even when the celtics knocked off the Bucks before Giannis was ready - it wasn't because of MIddleton for the loss. Khris was going off.
Greetings from waaaay the hell out in California! Nice channel. :) Everyone I talk hoops with except for the casual-est casuals knows the Bucks would have most likely beat Boston with Middleton in there. I believe *he's not underrated nearly as much as he's under-mentioned.* He definitely deserves more praise - but the praise he does get is always quite high. He is no doubt a top-3 SG today and arguably the best, although deRozan has a significant ppg advantage. But DdR has lower efficiency, slightly weaker D and a woeful 3pt%. All-time, currently I'd put Khris about even with Ray Allen and just behind Reggie and Klay. So he's already knocking on the door for top-5 all-time at his position, and another title just about assures it. Cheers/
Khris Middleton is so underrated I love how he plays the shot creating he does is crazy. I think if he was playing this playoff I think they Probably could beat the Celtics this year
I love your vids on underrated playere. I think a good video would be on Tyler herro and what he is for the heats offense. I am a heat fan but 95% want him gone. He is a 22 year old who just average basically 20/5/5.
@@lucasng7399 I agree. But trades like that aren't super realistic. Let's see what herro does with an extension on the line as well as starting. I hate to run it back now but we went 7 games with the celts without our second leading scorer. Who knows what can happen when healthy. Plus, Herros ceiling is pretty hard to gage but I'd say he could be a prime ray Allen type player that provides all star scoring
@@neptunedg1587 I 100% agree but only if we can find a solid guy to play the four because we can't just rely on jovic to be impactful straight away. i doubt we make any season altering changes until the front office decides to wake up from hibernation
Khris is one of the unsung leaders. Giannis leads by example with his effort and drive. Jrue is constantly talking to guys on the defensive end to lead there adn get them in better positions, and Middleton is always talking to Giannis and others on offense to get them in the right spots and noticing some tendacies. Honestly, that entire trio is perfection when it comes to leadership. Zero ego, all provide something different to inspire others.
I am a long time bucks fan. I love khris’s game so much. He has perfected it. The only thing I can say that is a con about Khris is consistency. One game he will go off the next game he would do terrible atleast for the play offs. But man is he so underrated. Khris Middleton 22 is going in the rafters for sure Bucks Legend
A friend of mine thinks Kris Middleton is overrated because of the “under performs in the playoffs” narrative that’s just completely false and so annoying. Thank you for this video.
I agree, though the sentence itself is incomplete. "He underperforms against certain playoff teams" is how I describe him. If the opposing team is aggressive, motivated, confident, and with nothing to lose, it takes a while for Middleton to respond. Thing is, that's usually most playoff teams.
@@wojak-sensei6424 Middleton does indeed get better as the series goes on. He's known for his slow starts to a series - that's why Giannis improvements and getting Jrue is such a big deal. By the time game 3 and on rolls around, Middleton has typically found himself against whatever defense they are running on him. He almost ALWAYS finishes series so strong, which when you're a #2 - yeah, that's definitely good enough. But yeah, he's always had slow series starts. But as they often say, it matters how you finish more than how it begins. So long as Giannis is good enough to hold down the fort until he finds himself - and Giannis keeps prove yes, he is that good, it works. People focus last year pre-injury that middleton had a poor "1.5 games before he got hurt, so would he have mattered?" - yeah, you just didn't watch Middleton his whole career. Those are often his worst games, and he didn't even get to finish game 2. That's typical Middleton. Game 3 and on, different story. Only series recently I remember Middleton being below average most of the time was... the nets. Yet, when clutch time came, Khlutch showed up.
I’ve noticed players drafted after like 2012 are heavily criticized, fans today are extremely critical but back in the day nba players were a lot more beloved, my theory is we’re at point where a generation of nba fans ( 2004-2012) are slowly turning into old heads lol
6:23 - This is what I love about Giannis, you better come to play or he'll put you on your ass. Refs wont call something like that, just because you're not playing hard doesn't mean your opponent has to play down to your intensity (or lack thereof). Not even a flop, Giannis just said weight room.
Agree with most of what you said but Giannis literally just pushed him over dude that’s not a screen that’s a shove lol. And his feet weren’t set either, but u right they ain’t called it ig😂
@@jeffreyware7808 The way I see it is as a defender you're not going to get charge calls if you're not actively playing Defense. You could just be standing there but if you're not trying to actively make a play, slide laterally, contest a shot, stay in front, etc. The ref isn't gonna give you the benefit of the doubt.
Middleton does have his cold spouts, but he closes games out. If you don't want to consider Middleton a star player (he is in my opinion) don't even consider Devin Booker, Klay Thompson, Paul George, LeMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, Zach LaVine, SGA, Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown either. In MKE, we don't care anyway. The national media (ESPN) is garbage. I have seen articles about Matt Ryan (Lakers) and Luke Kornet (Celtics)....WTF??? those players are nothing compared to a multitude of players out there. The drones will click it though because of the teams. Majority of the audience doesn't understand basketball, those that do know who can really play...Middleton is a serious baller.
Khris is kinda like how people view Draymond I feel like. Both are the second most impactful players on their championship teams, but are undervalued because they play next to superstars. I believe a healthy Middleton allows the Bucks to go to back to back Finals last year, the Boston series went to 7 games without him because Giannis is that good, they definitely would've won it with Middleton.
Draymond is replaceable Khris Middleton isnt. Hard to find someone who scores 20.9 PPG and play defense. Meanwhile its very easy to find people who can do the same job as Draymond.
And it's hard to find someone who can guard 1-4 and sometimes 5 while also being your best passer. I mean come on even current Draymond isn't easy to replaceable, prime Draymond Green is one of the best defenders ever on and off the ball. There's a reason the Warriors goes from great to average without him. And he's a great fit for great shooters like Klay and Steph who don't need to be the playmakers all the time because Green can. There's more to basketball than just ppg, and the Warriors don't even make the Finals without Draymond.
@@kennn30 People said the same thing about Ben Simmons. They said his defense was unreplaceable. Look the Sixers are the same without him they went to the playoff without him. Stop overrating player defense. If Ben Simmons was replaceable so is Draymond Green.
Ur obviously a casual fan. Your comparing a guy who has gone to 6 Finals and won 4 of them to a guy who hasn't even made the Finals. And they're not the same defender, Green is a better and smarter defender and has won DPOY while Ben has not. I'll even show you stats from statmuse, Since the 2014-15 season, the Warriors have won 71% of their games when Draymond has played, at least a top 3 seed. But without him they have won 52% of their games, that puts them in them in the play-in now and a low 7-8 seed. The Warriors record drops significantly because Draymond is a very impactful player, without him they're fighting to make the playoffs. Please watch the games and recognize his impact
i was so pissed when he basically he made at the 4th quarter at game 4 on the finals against phoenix. made me stop watch the finals because i didnt want my suns to be obliterated like that. now i see as a testament on how good he was.
Im a bucks fan and i love him i mean his the 2nd best player in a championship team. The Truth about Khris is he has 3 different identities. 2nd best player in a team/ prime Mj/ zero factor
imagine this, Khris has better playoffs stats than Paul Pierce has. granted, they played in different eras and the truth was the 1st option most of the time, but if others consider Pierce as one of the best all around offensive players, Khris should at least be given a few mentions
Khris' rather enigmatic attitude when it comes to the court remains to be his most unique strength and his most glaring weakness. It's almost as if he's mentally playing on an island away from everyone else. On one hand, that makes him a key crunch time player and a good closer for a series (there's a reason why he's always one of the final bucket-getters in last year's playoffs against the Nets and Suns, not to mention his scoring performance when Giannis was out during the Hawks games). Calm, focused, and rarely letting the pressure get the better of him. On the other hand, he's a bit of a liability when it comes to more aggressive matchups. Hence, his initial underperformance in the Suns, Nets, and Hawks (teams with everything to gain and/or nothing to lose). Passive, lethargic, and unable to respond and adapt to shifting momentums. Either way, use Middleton right and he's more than worthy to be Giannis' wing man. Use his wrong, and you get the spotty shooter who's way out of his depth. Coach Bud has done both throughout this Bucks era.
i dont really understand why people still say he is underated?! he is in the middle of his 5-yr $177.5M contract! how underated is a player to make all this money?! the media does not care about the bucks, thats why we barely listen from him, but inside the league he has a very high reputation!
When he performs, he is 2nd only to giannis, in their championship year. But the problem with Khris is he is inconsistent at times. I just hate that the ESPN and other sport channels are trying to make Giannis into 2nd fiddle to Khris, when it was infact Giannis 1st, Khris 2nd. BUT, I would want to say that Bobby Portis was the X-Factor in the championship year
As a Bucks fan, I don't know about "easy". I do think they trounce Miami. It was mostly the same squad the Bucks man handled last post season. But, the warriors do that thing the Bucks struggle with - ball movement at the 3 point line. Bucks 3 point defense isn't great. that said, Bucks also do that thing the GSW struggle with at times - strong interior play with great mid range shooting. That series would have bene great because both teams styles play right into each others weaknesses. I would love to see a warriors bucks finals before all the core players are too old. I've been wanting that finals for years.
@@NintyPrime I agree, the two teams are so polar different I also was rooting for a finals matchup between them. wouldn't be surprised if that's what we get in the 23 finals
@@jasonmoukala8909 bro ima warriors fan an im not going be biased but bruh there’s no answer for Gianni’s he wouldn’t breakdown in the playoffs like tatum would
He definitely is the best partner for giannis all he need is to be consistent he could be MJ hitting insane shots n getting hot then next game be like ben simmons
they would've gone back to back champs guaranteed because if you actually watched the celtics vs bucks series, you would've clearly seen that the bucks were just missing another scorer, being middleton. Giannis had to drop 40 for them to win games so if middleton wasn't injured then they would have won.
Yeah, and one game Giannis went off it still wasn't enough. What Giannis proved that series: Yes, I am that good. I can almost solo handle the best defense in the NBA and carry my team on my back offensively to the ECF. Also: If we have Middleton to help scoring - that isn't a 7 game series. Bucks would have been up 3-1 going back to boston as Middleton wouldn't have let the bucks blow that 4th quarter lead at home in game 4, and game 5 was the Jrue Holiday late game win - series over 4-1. Oh how different people view that series if Middleton played.
Middleton is severely underrated and its so annoying. 40 points in the FINALS, some NBA LEGENDS haven't accomplished that. Not to mention he's a good defender, he is not a liability in the slightest his length and height allows him to bother the greatest offensive guys. He is milwaukee primary scorer in the clutch, ( btw this doesn't mean Giannis isn't clutch either, it means Khris is better in the clutch Giannis still average 8 ppg in the 4th quarter ). what I don't understand is how jaylen brown got so much love for doing good in the finals and middleton did EVEN BETTER by milestones and HE WON and didn't get half as much respect as Jaylen.
![Tee Grizzley - Robbery 8 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/34_vkNV6wrU/mqdefault.jpg)
Him being underrated is no doubt what makes him special. He really is the most ideal second man out there. Underrated but will make it happen when he needs to.
He’s about as weak of a 2nd option you can have and still win a championship. Clearly jrue is the 2nd best player, but Middleton is the 2nd scoring option, and if not for Giannis being the best player, that wouldn’t work.
Take Giannis off this roster and they fight for a play in spot. Warriors are a bit different cuz they have 3 guys who could be the 2nd scoring option at any moment, and have the deepest roster on top of that.
Middleton is not underrated. He’s slowly becoming overrated if people don’t realize what he is. People acting like he closer to Kevin Durant than A solid pull up guy who can shoot 3s pretty well and play ok defense. His assists are pretty much just making the extra pass, which is very valuable but let’s not act like he could playmake if he needed to. There was a reason everybody thought Giannis should leave before he won.
With all that being said, they clearly would’ve beat the Celtics if he were available. But it being so close shows that he is replaceable to a degree.
@@YodaSmokes wrong Middleton is the 2nd best player and the most clutch player by far. Not jrue who wouldn’t hit a shot in the finals or against Boston.
Without khris they don’t even advance past that injured nets team. It was his duels in the clutch against kd that won them that series.
You can speak to how replaceable you think he is but the fact remains he was on the team and they wouldn’t have won without him.
Facts it's hard to name 3 numbers two options as good on a team as Middleton
@@YodaSmokes "Let's not act like he could play-make if he needed to"??? Actually if you look at his stats when Giannis is out he ALWAYS puts up big numbers. Look at game 5 and 6 against Atlanta in ECF. That fits the definition of "needing to" play-make and he did. He also has a long history of coming up big in the clutch to make huge shots. He's actually far and away the best shot creator on the Bucks. He can literally always get you a good look in an iso situation. Always. Not sure what ur smoking saying its obvious Jrue is their 2nd best player?? Not sure Jrue even has the ability to completely take over a game when he's hot. Middleton does. I promise if you took him and made him the go to guy on a shyt team he'd average around 26-27 ppg. In fact, your entire post proves the narrative correct that he's underrated
No one talks about Khris being the second best player on a championship team
Middleton is undervalued, but I’d still argue he was the third best player on the team. Jrue Holiday is the man.
@@tripptothemovies6284 I would argue fourth. Bobby Portis was really impactful on that run
@@domination4892 wild take ngl
@@domination4892 fifth jordan nwora carried his ass
@@domination4892 after his biggest game there was talk of him beeing finals mvp so no not even close
He has the perfect situation. Only players and front office know how good he is so he will always be paid and wanted. As a second option, he’ll always be behind Giannis in scrutiny and pressure. This is the most comfortable position to be in as a star in the NBA
But for that same reason he’ll never get the appreciation he deserves.
@@amari5850 true but it’s what ever khris wants and it seems like he’s not looking for the spotlight
@@amari5850 As a Bucks fan in wisconsin - he'll never be forgotten. Some have suggested the bucks build a statue of the starting 5 outside the building and they may well some day, and a few stragglers said you can't honor 22 - that's Michael Redds number. Most bucks fans laugh. Sure Redd was the best player on the bucks for a number of seasons, but he's not really on Middleton's level.
If this bucks squad goes on to win 1 or 2 more titles, Middleton and Jrue alike will be hard to just "not be given some credit". They won't get the attention of Giannis, but eventually when you start to win multiple rings people notice how good the other parts are around you.
It's crazy the Bucks #2 and #3 players are both considered to be elite level players in their own right, and both are massively undervalued by most NBA fans.
Khris Middleton is probably one of the best championship level second options in the league. He's basically a 50/40/90 guy that can work as a main shot creator to alleviate the load off your best player, can also be another ball handler when plays go south, and also is a pretty elite defender. Anyone saying this man is not an all star is just straight up clueless
He's basically slightly downgraded PG13
I mean he’s definitely efficient, but not 50/40/90. At least not the 50%, but still great efficiency. However, his defense is not near elite. It’s good, but there’s a large difference between good and elite. And I mean everyone knows he’s an all star level player, but he’s not a lock for it every year. There’s only 12 spots a conference, and there’s lots of talent in the league who simply just take up way more volume than 20 ppg.
@@Time_Lapse_Master. ehhh tbh can’t call him a slightly pg when he’s a champion and a gold medalist in one year when pg is not
@@kahmarigreen5392 well what I meant was overall playstyle, PG is basically Middleton but with better defense and higher volume
@@Time_Lapse_Master. You're not wrong about the volume - the primary difference between Middleton and PG13 offensively is, indeed, volume.
And sure, PG13's defensive metrics are just flat better than Middletons. Middleton is still an above average defender and can borderline on being a really good defender, but Geroge is jus ta step above that.
this would make you think PG13 is a better player.
But is he? Lets set aside career accomplishments, because it's hard to argue against a ring a gold medal for one, and more all stars for the other. Just comparing the players today (not taking in past seasons);
Middleton shoots a better percentage from the floor on less shots (so he's more effecient), and while both drop dimes at a similar rate of late, Paul George also turns it over a lot more. MIddleton has a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio, George is like 1.3 to 1. This suggests he's a lot sloppier with the ball. Also, in general, George has never been able to serve that #2 role well. He's not good enough to really be the #1 and win a ring, but also his playstyle isn't that great for a #2 either. The offense tends to "stop" when he gets the ball, which is the opposite of Middleton. It's part of what makes middletons role as the #2 so unique.
As for which player is better? I think a lot of people, most NBA fans, would tell you Paul George is better.
I also think most NBA execs would tell you they would rather have Middleton for a few reasons. Besides his insane health throughout his career, the way he plays is a style that ages well. George is 32. Middleton is 31, and at those ages athleticism slowly begins to leave you and then what you're left with on the floor is what you can do with it as it fades.
Middleton isn't reliant on athleticism for almost anything he does, even defensively, he just shuffles his feet and anticipates moves. He has a "old man" style of play, and old man styles have always aged very gracefully in the NBA.
I think Paul George is probably the better player. But both had the exact same PER last year - and George was in the role of the #1. The big leap was win shares. George had 1.3. Middltone was 5+.
So Middletons is effecting winning at a significantly greater rate than George last season. What I learned is: You can't really go wrong with either, but Middleton has proven his comfort zone in the #2 role. What George did last post season is great, but he's never been able to do that as a #2.
I love the bucks man, that team is literally built on underrated players that comes together and brings the best out of each other
Yea besides Giannis
@@hyperhooperbasketball Giannis was not in the top 100 recruit on his draft batch. He's clearly underrated he was not in the radar. The Bucks saw his potential and made a wager.
Yeah, everyone on the team is low maintenance. Fantastic job by picking all these players.
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been waiting for
I’m a diehard Bucks fan, and Giannis is obviously one of the best to ever do it, he’s incredible. But I always say Khris is my favorite player. The way he plays the game, his ability to hit clutch shots, the way he represents our team in such a positive way, and maybe most importantly, the fact that he went from a 2nd round G-Leaguer to an NBA Champ. I love seeing content like this, and I’ll echo what another commenter said: Seeing KMidd finally get recognized for his immense talent during last year’s playoff run was one of the most satisfying things for me
Same here! Giannis is my MVP (and I love him) but Khris is my favorite player. He’s so fun to watch when he’s in his bag.
Pure ball talk. I love it
He is literally the difference on whether the Bucks win a chip or not.
Literally would’ve repeated or at least gone to the finals if he played
Exactly
He’s one of my favorite players in the league. He reminds me a lot of Klay Thompson before his injury a few years ago, mainly the conversation around klay at the time being, yes he’s clearly the number 2 option BUT he immediately and undoubtedly improves any roster that he gets added to simply because he does so many things at a high level. I mean he’s no slouch defensively even if he’s more focused on his offensive output and the dude can straight up give you 25/8/6 just about any night and the scariest thing is he doesn’t even have to for his team to win games
Better than klay...
He was so good in 19-20. Basically a 50/40/90 season on pretty high volume.
20.9 ppg on 49.7 / 41.5 / 91.6
Oh and he's a plus on defense
This is such high quality content
He’s a reliable defender too.. great player!
Really appreciate you doing a feature on Khris. As someone who's been a big bucks fan whose followed this current core from before their All-Star days, it felt incredibly satisfying seeing Khris finally get his due during the title run. Felt like NBA media went from being totally convinced that the Bucks only had mediocre players who only looked better than they actually were next to Giannis to going way too far the other direction in the span of one series.
Excellent breakdown, this really shows why the Celtics went to the Finals and not the Bucks. Middleton can score and run the offense so Giannis doesn't have to do everything (like he did against the Celtics). Middleton is like what Shaun Livingston was for the Warriors, but as a starter and an All Star.
This is why I think that the Bucks could’ve gotten to their next ring if Khris was healthy. Since he wasn’t we lost in 7. If he was we would have won in 5 or 6.
@@generalhyde007 If Khris was there we win game 6, The way Giannis went off but everyone else went cold, Middleton would've helped tremendously
@@dareiousmiller8179 no you's wouldn't have
@@codyking3825 Yeah we would have and everyone knows it
@@dareiousmiller8179 I could same the same when you's played the Nets in your title run. Had Kyrie and Harden played every game, you's would've lost
Bucks team needs to seal the deal with another chip or all outside of MKE is forgotten.
Khris will always be one of my favorites. He’s a humble working man. 2nd round draft pick no one cared about to a consistent problem for opponents year after year. He’s loyal and lives with critics that break guys like Kyrie and Ben Simmons.
He’s the ultimate Milwaukee hero to those of us understanding the reality of the level these guys play at.
Love this video, and espcially your comparison to Kevin Durant, never thought about that comp but the more I think about it the more it makes sense
This whole video sums up exactly why Khris is one of my favorite players in the whole league. An unselfish shot creator who can defend and create for others, an ideal second option for a guy who might be the best player in the league.
I was one of the people who questioned if he was the perfect Robin to Giannis to help him win a championship. Im glad i was proven wrong.
Very well done video. The research that went into this is crazy. Had no clue he shot that efficiently in the finals!
2016 Finals got me into basketball, despite already being in my mid 20’s. I got super lucky that my hometown team ended up having the future best player in the league and the most successful G league player ever (no offense Siakam).
Middleton>>>Siakam
Oh man thank you thank you thank you! What an awesome video and description! I truly haven't seen almost any videos saying how underrated this guy is and that's so so sad. Thank you again!
Love u showing luv the Kmid everyone disrespects him but real ones know he’s tuff
Great video man…you nailed it with this one Khris is so important to what they do and he’s so underrated. Well done.
How do you not have 100k+ your insight on the game and knowledge is great new subscriber
It’s a journey my friend! We’ll get there one day, thanks for subscribing 🙏
High qualities content👍🏾
Finally khris Middy getting some much deserved love in the community!
God tier video Alex!
I was saying this about Khris for years, but almost regularly this gets understood as "Giannis hate". No healthy Khris, no title for Bucks. It's that simple
Great analysis! But you forgot to mention his defense!
Love seeing 🔥 videos from New creators
Been saying this for about 3 years now, without him the Bucks can’t be their best. So happy to see him back
Khris becomes prime MJ every time he faces the Celtics
Celtics fans have to hate Khris. Any of them that thinks "Middleton being healthy wouldn't have mattered' must forget how much Khris has historically destroyed that franchise in the post season. Even when the celtics knocked off the Bucks before Giannis was ready - it wasn't because of MIddleton for the loss. Khris was going off.
You just earned sub man you said it perfectly about him and it’s true
Greetings from waaaay the hell out in California! Nice channel. :)
Everyone I talk hoops with except for the casual-est casuals knows the Bucks would have most likely beat Boston with Middleton in there.
I believe *he's not underrated nearly as much as he's under-mentioned.*
He definitely deserves more praise - but the praise he does get is always quite high.
He is no doubt a top-3 SG today and arguably the best, although deRozan has a significant ppg advantage. But DdR has lower efficiency, slightly weaker D and a woeful 3pt%.
All-time, currently I'd put Khris about even with Ray Allen and just behind Reggie and Klay.
So he's already knocking on the door for top-5 all-time at his position, and another title just about assures it.
Cheers/
The Lofi beats are a great touch to your vids
People just need to imagine Middleton on their team to realize how good he is. He can perfectly fit on any team
I think he has THE most beautiful jump shot in the current NBA
Agreed!
Kris is just so damm smooth with it
you deserve way more subscribers
thank you
Khris Middleton is so underrated I love how he plays the shot creating he does is crazy. I think if he was playing this playoff I think they Probably could beat the Celtics this year
good video! chris is very humble
“Khris Middleton decided to be a superstar tonight” - Chris Smoove
Thanks for the video.
If people wanna compare Giannis to Shaq, they should not forget that Middleton is his Kobe.
Great vid, Alex!
If it wasn’t for Khris Middleton being injured, the bucks would’ve gone back to back 💯
I love your vids on underrated playere. I think a good video would be on Tyler herro and what he is for the heats offense. I am a heat fan but 95% want him gone. He is a 22 year old who just average basically 20/5/5.
i only want herro gone if it means we get someone like donovan mitchell or a younger guy with a higher ceiling.
@@lucasng7399 I agree. But trades like that aren't super realistic. Let's see what herro does with an extension on the line as well as starting. I hate to run it back now but we went 7 games with the celts without our second leading scorer. Who knows what can happen when healthy. Plus, Herros ceiling is pretty hard to gage but I'd say he could be a prime ray Allen type player that provides all star scoring
@@neptunedg1587 I 100% agree but only if we can find a solid guy to play the four because we can't just rely on jovic to be impactful straight away. i doubt we make any season altering changes until the front office decides to wake up from hibernation
@@lucasng7399 ong dude we literally have no power forwards. Maybe Caleb Martin? Idk, shit throw yurt at the 4 and see what he does off the glass LOL
Nobody gives a fuck about the heat lol
Kings rookie Keegan Murray said that he modelled his by looking at Middleton game. That’s when I knew Murray gonna be special for Kings
Yea that kid is balling
great stuff. thanks!
Khris is the coach on court for the bucks. He understand the game more. They would’ve repeat easily if was t the injury .
Khris is one of the unsung leaders. Giannis leads by example with his effort and drive. Jrue is constantly talking to guys on the defensive end to lead there adn get them in better positions, and Middleton is always talking to Giannis and others on offense to get them in the right spots and noticing some tendacies.
Honestly, that entire trio is perfection when it comes to leadership. Zero ego, all provide something different to inspire others.
I am a long time bucks fan. I love khris’s game so much. He has perfected it. The only thing I can say that is a con about Khris is consistency. One game he will go off the next game he would do terrible atleast for the play offs. But man is he so underrated. Khris Middleton 22 is going in the rafters for sure Bucks Legend
Excellent video. You echoed all the points i have been making to my friends for the past 5 or 6 years. Well done, you earned yourself a sub!
You could do series of players like him, forgotten All-stars
He is also such a good defender
A friend of mine thinks Kris Middleton is overrated because of the “under performs in the playoffs” narrative that’s just completely false and so annoying. Thank you for this video.
I agree, though the sentence itself is incomplete. "He underperforms against certain playoff teams" is how I describe him. If the opposing team is aggressive, motivated, confident, and with nothing to lose, it takes a while for Middleton to respond. Thing is, that's usually most playoff teams.
@@wojak-sensei6424 Middleton does indeed get better as the series goes on. He's known for his slow starts to a series - that's why Giannis improvements and getting Jrue is such a big deal. By the time game 3 and on rolls around, Middleton has typically found himself against whatever defense they are running on him. He almost ALWAYS finishes series so strong, which when you're a #2 - yeah, that's definitely good enough.
But yeah, he's always had slow series starts. But as they often say, it matters how you finish more than how it begins. So long as Giannis is good enough to hold down the fort until he finds himself - and Giannis keeps prove yes, he is that good, it works.
People focus last year pre-injury that middleton had a poor "1.5 games before he got hurt, so would he have mattered?" - yeah, you just didn't watch Middleton his whole career. Those are often his worst games, and he didn't even get to finish game 2. That's typical Middleton. Game 3 and on, different story. Only series recently I remember Middleton being below average most of the time was... the nets.
Yet, when clutch time came, Khlutch showed up.
I’ve noticed players drafted after like 2012 are heavily criticized, fans today are extremely critical but back in the day nba players were a lot more beloved, my theory is we’re at point where a generation of nba fans ( 2004-2012) are slowly turning into old heads lol
dont forget he playmakes for Giannis so much!
HOT TAKE: Khris Middleton is Demar Derozan production wise
Ehhhh idk bout that
DeMar DeRozan is 2 levels below Kris Middleton as a 3-point shooter. 👎
Better
Middleton is a better defender. He also averaged 26 in the finals. Dude is a star disguised as a role player.
6:23 - This is what I love about Giannis, you better come to play or he'll put you on your ass. Refs wont call something like that, just because you're not playing hard doesn't mean your opponent has to play down to your intensity (or lack thereof). Not even a flop, Giannis just said weight room.
Agree with most of what you said but Giannis literally just pushed him over dude that’s not a screen that’s a shove lol. And his feet weren’t set either, but u right they ain’t called it ig😂
@@jeffreyware7808 The way I see it is as a defender you're not going to get charge calls if you're not actively playing Defense. You could just be standing there but if you're not trying to actively make a play, slide laterally, contest a shot, stay in front, etc. The ref isn't gonna give you the benefit of the doubt.
Yeah, but then let them play and blow every whistle for Giannis
Middleton does have his cold spouts, but he closes games out. If you don't want to consider Middleton a star player (he is in my opinion) don't even consider Devin Booker, Klay Thompson, Paul George, LeMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, Zach LaVine, SGA, Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown either. In MKE, we don't care anyway. The national media (ESPN) is garbage. I have seen articles about Matt Ryan (Lakers) and Luke Kornet (Celtics)....WTF??? those players are nothing compared to a multitude of players out there. The drones will click it though because of the teams. Majority of the audience doesn't understand basketball, those that do know who can really play...Middleton is a serious baller.
Subscribed: Checked out your other content and you have game. Enjoyed by my end.
Khris is kinda like how people view Draymond I feel like. Both are the second most impactful players on their championship teams, but are undervalued because they play next to superstars. I believe a healthy Middleton allows the Bucks to go to back to back Finals last year, the Boston series went to 7 games without him because Giannis is that good, they definitely would've won it with Middleton.
Draymond is replaceable Khris Middleton isnt. Hard to find someone who scores 20.9 PPG and play defense. Meanwhile its very easy to find people who can do the same job as Draymond.
And it's hard to find someone who can guard 1-4 and sometimes 5 while also being your best passer. I mean come on even current Draymond isn't easy to replaceable, prime Draymond Green is one of the best defenders ever on and off the ball. There's a reason the Warriors goes from great to average without him. And he's a great fit for great shooters like Klay and Steph who don't need to be the playmakers all the time because Green can. There's more to basketball than just ppg, and the Warriors don't even make the Finals without Draymond.
@@kennn30 People said the same thing about Ben Simmons. They said his defense was unreplaceable. Look the Sixers are the same without him they went to the playoff without him. Stop overrating player defense. If Ben Simmons was replaceable so is Draymond Green.
Ur obviously a casual fan. Your comparing a guy who has gone to 6 Finals and won 4 of them to a guy who hasn't even made the Finals. And they're not the same defender, Green is a better and smarter defender and has won DPOY while Ben has not. I'll even show you stats from statmuse, Since the 2014-15 season, the Warriors have won 71% of their games when Draymond has played, at least a top 3 seed. But without him they have won 52% of their games, that puts them in them in the play-in now and a low 7-8 seed. The Warriors record drops significantly because Draymond is a very impactful player, without him they're fighting to make the playoffs. Please watch the games and recognize his impact
@@kennn30 Oh yeah if he is so impactful how the heck did Warriors win 53 games last year. When Draymond Green only played 46 games last year.
i was so pissed when he basically he made at the 4th quarter at game 4 on the finals against phoenix. made me stop watch the finals because i didnt want my suns to be obliterated like that. now i see as a testament on how good he was.
OLYMPIAN. GOLD MEDAL.
real hoops
Very underrated. Stay healthy.
And people say having Khris this year wouldn’t have changed nothing
Khris middleton is good
Simple as that
The title made me laugh out loudly
Khris Middleton is the offensive Pippen. Great on offense in every way but never detracts from Giannis.
HOF Shot Creator
Here's a take: Keegan Murray will develop into the next Khris Middleton
like it
I hope so
Khris Middleton is the second option that we thought Jabari Parker would be beside Giannis...
Im a bucks fan and i love him i mean his the 2nd best player in a championship team. The Truth about Khris is he has 3 different identities. 2nd best player in a team/ prime Mj/ zero factor
imagine this, Khris has better playoffs stats than Paul Pierce has. granted, they played in different eras and the truth was the 1st option most of the time, but if others consider Pierce as one of the best all around offensive players, Khris should at least be given a few mentions
I clicked thinking it's Andy Hoops. Don't be me.
I’m not gonna lie, Middleton is Kato to Giannis’s Green Hornet
Let's goooooooooooooooo.
truth is if he wins another ring you could say he could make the hall of fame
with his midrange
Khris' rather enigmatic attitude when it comes to the court remains to be his most unique strength and his most glaring weakness. It's almost as if he's mentally playing on an island away from everyone else.
On one hand, that makes him a key crunch time player and a good closer for a series (there's a reason why he's always one of the final bucket-getters in last year's playoffs against the Nets and Suns, not to mention his scoring performance when Giannis was out during the Hawks games). Calm, focused, and rarely letting the pressure get the better of him.
On the other hand, he's a bit of a liability when it comes to more aggressive matchups. Hence, his initial underperformance in the Suns, Nets, and Hawks (teams with everything to gain and/or nothing to lose). Passive, lethargic, and unable to respond and adapt to shifting momentums.
Either way, use Middleton right and he's more than worthy to be Giannis' wing man. Use his wrong, and you get the spotty shooter who's way out of his depth. Coach Bud has done both throughout this Bucks era.
Hell yeah
i dont really understand why people still say he is underated?!
he is in the middle of his 5-yr $177.5M contract! how underated is a player to make all this money?!
the media does not care about the bucks, thats why we barely listen from him, but inside the league he has a very high reputation!
It's just the media, fans that watch know his worth we are not on TV to tell it!!!
I used to sleep on Middleton
Stud!
When he performs, he is 2nd only to giannis, in their championship year. But the problem with Khris is he is inconsistent at times. I just hate that the ESPN and other sport channels are trying to make Giannis into 2nd fiddle to Khris, when it was infact Giannis 1st, Khris 2nd. BUT, I would want to say that Bobby Portis was the X-Factor in the championship year
if he wasn't injured this season it would've been easy back to back chips for the bucks
As a Bucks fan, I don't know about "easy".
I do think they trounce Miami. It was mostly the same squad the Bucks man handled last post season. But, the warriors do that thing the Bucks struggle with - ball movement at the 3 point line. Bucks 3 point defense isn't great.
that said, Bucks also do that thing the GSW struggle with at times - strong interior play with great mid range shooting. That series would have bene great because both teams styles play right into each others weaknesses. I would love to see a warriors bucks finals before all the core players are too old. I've been wanting that finals for years.
@@NintyPrime I agree, the two teams are so polar different I also was rooting for a finals matchup between them. wouldn't be surprised if that's what we get in the 23 finals
If Khris wasnt injured the bucks would've been in 2022 finals
They would’ve easily beat the warriors with Middleton
Ya
@@benomerovic5515 nah dude. Warriors beat the best defense in the league
Nah they might’ve lost to heat
@@jasonmoukala8909 bro ima warriors fan an im not going be biased but bruh there’s no answer for Gianni’s he wouldn’t breakdown in the playoffs like tatum would
Bucks fans love him, but he just needs to be more consistent.
Keegan Murray has the same swag
He definitely is the best partner for giannis all he need is to be consistent he could be MJ hitting insane shots n getting hot then next game be like ben simmons
Khris Middleton is Good.
Now that I look at him again he feels like a version of iso Joe
they would've gone back to back champs guaranteed because if you actually watched the celtics vs bucks series, you would've clearly seen that the bucks were just missing another scorer, being middleton. Giannis had to drop 40 for them to win games so if middleton wasn't injured then they would have won.
Yeah, and one game Giannis went off it still wasn't enough.
What Giannis proved that series: Yes, I am that good. I can almost solo handle the best defense in the NBA and carry my team on my back offensively to the ECF.
Also: If we have Middleton to help scoring - that isn't a 7 game series. Bucks would have been up 3-1 going back to boston as Middleton wouldn't have let the bucks blow that 4th quarter lead at home in game 4, and game 5 was the Jrue Holiday late game win - series over 4-1.
Oh how different people view that series if Middleton played.
I think he has a better looking jump shot then Klay Thompson
He reminds me of Glenn Robinson
Yo imma need dat fucking beat bro shit was nasty
Middleton is severely underrated and its so annoying. 40 points in the FINALS, some NBA LEGENDS haven't accomplished that. Not to mention he's a good defender, he is not a liability in the slightest his length and height allows him to bother the greatest offensive guys. He is milwaukee primary scorer in the clutch, ( btw this doesn't mean Giannis isn't clutch either, it means Khris is better in the clutch Giannis still average 8 ppg in the 4th quarter ). what I don't understand is how jaylen brown got so much love for doing good in the finals and middleton did EVEN BETTER by milestones and HE WON and didn't get half as much respect as Jaylen.
He won? Or bucks won? There’s a difference
He's basically Milwaukee's dark skinned Klay Thompson. Which means he's really good.