Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report (Nov 9th): Latest update on Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard's status
The Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers will go toe-to-toe on Thursday, Nov. 9. Both teams are coming into the contest on the second night of a back-to-back. The Bucks defeated the Pistons on Nov. 8, while the Pacers torched the Utah Jazz in a blow-out win.
At the time of writing, Milwaukee is expected to have Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo available for their game against the Pacers. However, they will likely be without Khris Middleton, who missed the contest against Detroit due to injury management on his right knee.
Milwaukee's floor spacing takes a significant hit when Middleton isn't part of the rotation. He's an elite perimeter shooter, and his movement creates scoring opportunities for his teammates as defenses rotate to respect his catch-and-shoot threat. When he's not on the court, it allows the opposing defense to bunker down and defend the drive.
Lillard has been struggling with his perimeter shot to begin the new season. He's shooting 32.6% from 3-point range in his first seven games. Teams will still respect his perimeter shooting, but without Middleton, there certainly won't be the same level of spacing on the court. That can make things difficult for Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, who both do the majority of their work on the interior.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has started the season strong for the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are currently 12th in the NBA for three-point shooting as a unit. While not elite, it does ensure there's ample spacing for Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo to attack the lanes and pressure the rim.
In the opening seven games, the "Greek Freak" has been thriving on the offensive end. The superstar forward is currently averaging 26.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, hitting 54.8% of his looks from the field. It's been a strong start to the season for Antetokounmpo, who is clearly motivated by his team's first-round exit from the playoffs last season.
The veteran star is playing with aggression and poise. He's doing more work on the post and showing off some new skills he likely picked up when working with Hakeem Olajuwon over the summer. He's also attacking the lane with physicality, ensuring he can get to his spots on most of his drives, especially when bully-driving from the perimeter.
Antetokounmpo looks motivated – and that should be a scary sign for the rest of the Eastern Conference. The former MVP is capable of putting the team on his back. However, now he has a superstar point guard playing alongside him, who can also carry the scrolling load when needed.
The two-time MVP has looked good to begin the season. He typically ramps up his production as the year progresses, so he could be gearing up to dominate as the year rolls on.