Khris Middleton To Miss The First Few Weeks Of The Season With Wrist Injury

The Milwaukee Bucks will be without their three-time all-star, Khris Middleton on opening night. He’s expected to miss the first few weeks of the 2022-23 season. 

Middleton has had a history of missing some time in the recent seasons. The 2021 NBA Champ is 31 and not getting any younger. He’s hasn’t played in over 70 games since the 2018-19 season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates will have to elevate their play on offense to replace the output they normally get from Middleton. Milwaukee opens their season on the road vs the Philadelphia 76ers tonight.

Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton is expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season as he rehabs from offseason wrist surgery, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Middleton said at Media Day that he did not expect to play in the season opener this week.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 17, 2022

He had to undergo surgery this past July to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. Luckily, that is not his shooting hand. If it had been his right wrist, he may have been been out longer than expected. No doubt he wants the wrist to be 100 percent when he makes his return and the Bucks are not going to rush back a player of his caliber.

It’s no surprise that the Bucks are being more cautious to Middleton based on how his season ended in 2021-22. He suffered a MCL sprain in the first round of the playoffs vs Chicago. The smart move which Milwaukee is doing is to listen to Middleton and the training staff to know when he’s ready.

Additionally, he has the option to opt out of the last year of his contract and become a free agent if he feels fit. This is his 10th season with the Bucks. With a few other injuries lingering on the team, you may see someone like George Hill or Bobby Portis in the starting lineup.

The Bucks team as a whole are looking to avenge their second-round exit in the playoffs last season. Milwaukee would lose to the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Boston Celtics, in seven games. Their loss felt similar to how Milwaukee beat Brooklyn in the second-round in the 2020-21 season.

Khris Middleton (offseason wrist surgery) is expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season for Milwaukee, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/zLCMX2saF7

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 17, 2022