NBA Rumors: According to a recent report, Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton is expected to miss the conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.
Shortly after closing out the Chicago Bulls in five games, the Milwaukee Bucks got some not-so-great news regarding the availability of their start wing.
According to Shams Charania, Khris Middleton is expected to miss the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. If the defending champs are going to make it to the conference finals, they’re going to need another strong effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and the rest of the non-Middleton supporting cast.
But it’s one thing to do that against the Bulls. It’s an entirely different thing to do that against Boston.
The left MCL injury of Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton is a Grade 2 sprain and he is expected to miss the entire second-round series vs. Celtics, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The recovery of Grade 2 MCL places a potential Conference Finals in jeopardy for him as well.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2022
What’s more concerning is that Middelton could possibly miss even more time if the Bucks are able to survive against the Celtics. Per Shams Charania, Middleton has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain and there’s a chance that Middleton isn’t completely healthy until the NBA Finals.
Of course, the Bucks would worry about the next series when the next series is here. The Bucks are going to have their hands full with the high-powered offense and stingy defense that is the Celtics. Even more so without Middleton.
This could end up being a gutting move for the Bucks heading into the conference semifinals. Fully healthy, many expected a Bucks-Celtics series to be one of the best showcases in the playoffs. Now that Middleton is expected to be out for the series, it may not be as fair of a matchup as it should be.
The Bucks didn’t miss a beat against the Bulls without Middleton, but I don’t believe it’s fair to predict they could do the same against a team as talented, and one playing as well, like the Celtics.