Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report (Nov 1st): Latest update on Khris Middleton and MarJon Beauchamp's availability
The Milwaukee Bucks' 2-1 record so far puts them second in the East, and they have a chance at bettering the record when they take on the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 1. While the team is expected to field both superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard for the contest, they do have some injury concerns in the hut.
According to ESPN, forward MarJon Beauchamp is listed as doubtful for the clash against the Raptors. He has played two games for the side so far averaging 6.0 points, but has proved to be a crucial component for the side in the last two seasons for Milwaukee.
The Bucks will also likely play Khris Middleton who missed the game against the Atlanta Hawks. In his two games so far, the F/G averages 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds but is expected to come off the blocks well despite the sluggish start.
Milwaukee Bucks plan on managing Khris Middleton's load
With the new NBA rule saying that one superstar player could be rested per game, the Milwaukee Bucks have decided to ease Khris Middleton back in rather than expecting him to play massive minutes each game.
With the guard going through a clean-up procedure for his right knee, the Bucks made it clear that he would gradually be ramped up to full-fledged action.
Middleton played in the Bucks’ 118-117 season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers for 16 minutes. He propped up 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Talking to The Athletic after the game, he said:
“Felt great to play in a meaningful game again, first time in a while. The energy in the building was great, team played well, felt like my minutes were great when I was in there. I think it’s a great start to the season, so definitely think (the) first game was a success on our end.
"Learned a lot from our end about what we can do better, things we need to clean up. … You always want to win the first game, especially the home opener in your building.”
The Bucks are yet to share how they intend to manage Middleton throughout the season, but it was clear that his recovery was their main focus. He sat out of the contest against the Hawks but played against the Miami Heat.
Expect a similar approach to continue when the Milwaukee Bucks play Toronto on Wednesday.