Milwaukee Bucks three-time All-Star Khris Middleton may be one of the most underrated players in the NBA, even by his own fanbase. For much of this offseason, many NBA fans, including Bucks fans, suggested scenarios in which Middleton was traded for other super star players such as James Harden and Damian Lillard. However, none of the people making these proposals considered Middleton to be on the same level as the players.
How ironic it was/is that these trade scenarios exist even though Middleton is not considered by many to be a legitimate star in the NBA. That being said, Evan Turner, the former Boston Celtics forward, believes that Middleton and Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler are on the same level.
Evan Turner Claims that Milwaukee Bucks Forward Khris Middleton and Miami Heat Star Jimmy Butler Are on the Same Level
As many debates tend to begin these days, especially in the NBA offseason, the entire debate started over a Twitter thread debating NBA 2k ratings. Turner originally posted that he believed a 95 rating for Butler in the popular video game was too high.
After several people commented defense of Butler’s high rating, Turner responded:
“People would flip their lids if I tried to start a Khris Middleton or Jimmy Butler debate Cause that’s a true debate, respectfully for all parties involved.”
As one may expect, the the majority of the comments following this claim do not agree with it. After all, Butler is a six-time All-Star while Middleton has made three All-Star teams.
That being said, there is a great deal of things that Middleton has accomplished that are comparable to Butler’s accomplishments.
1. Both Khris Middleton and Jimmy Butler Lifted Their Teams to the NBA Finals
Everyone remembers Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextending his knee in the Eastern Conference Finals, and coming back in the NBA Finals to lead Milwaukee to its first championship in 50 years.
However, not everyone chooses to remember that Middleton closed out the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals to get the Bucks to the Championship while Giannis was out.
After Game Four, the game in which Giannis got hurt, Middleton dropped 26 and 32 points in Games Five and Six to lead Milwaukee over Atlanta. In the Finals, Middleton averaged 24.0 points per game, highlighted by a 40-point performance in Game Four.
Butler, of course, went on an impressive tear in the 2023 NBA Playoffs that included an upset of the number-one seeded Bucks. He led the Heat through the East all the way to the Finals where they eventually fell to the Denver Nuggets.
Khris Middleton Averages More Points Per 36 Minutes Over the Past 5 Seasons Than Jimmy Butler
Over the last five seasons, Middleton and Butler have actually been very comparable scorers in the NBA regular season. Just take a look at their Per 36 Minutes stats since the 2018-19 season:
- Middleton: 22.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists
- Butler: 22.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists
Of course, stats don’t tell the whole story. Butler is a fantastic player who had a postseason run that few will ever be able to match. However, in the regular season, the debate of Middleton versus Butler is more of a legitimate conversation than people think. Their per 36 numbers are nearly identical, after all.
Leave a Reply