The Milwaukee Bucks have raced out to a 15-5 start to the 2022-23 NBA season, giving them the second-best record in the league behind only the Boston Celtics. Milwaukee has managed to do this without the services of All-Star wing Khris Middleton, who needed to undergo surgery during the offseason to repair a torn ligament in his wrist.
But the good news for the Bucks is that help is on the way. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the expectation is that Middleton will make his season debut on Friday night, when Milwaukee plays host to the Los Angeles Lakers. It will mark the first time that Middleton will be able to suit up since the Bucks’ playoff series against the Chicago Bulls last year — while he did not hurt his wrist in that game, Middleton suffered an MCL sprain, which held him out for the remainder of the postseason.
A three-time All-Star selection and a crucial piece to the Bucks team that won an NBA championship over the Phoenix Suns during the 2020-21 campaign, Middleton started all 66 games in which he appeared last season. Middleton averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 32.4 minutes per game while connecting on 37.3 percent of his attempts from behind the three-point line.