Khris Middleton’s absence from first All-Star returns is criminal

By Max Carlin | Jan 8, 2018

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images /

The first release of All-Star voting returns inspired a great deal of outrage, and of all the omissions, Khris Middleton’s absence might be most ludicrous.

Let’s call the All-Star Game what it is: a popularity contest. In his final season, Yao Ming played 91 minutes; he was the Western Conference All-Star Team’s starting center. In his final three seasons, Kobe Bryant averaged 35 games played per season and shot 36.6 percent from the field; he started three All-Star games.

Let’s not delude ourselves into thinking All-Star voting is anything other than a social media war good only for uncovering whose following is most cultish.

With that in mind, it seems futile to lament that Milwaukee is not the frenzied market that is New York, a behemoth that’s propelled Enes Kanter—a premier offensive player, yet by no means deserving of All-Star recognition—to ninth in voting among all Eastern Conference frontcourt players.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s star has risen fast enough, high enough, that he doesn’t need New York to find himself as the league’s leading vote-getter. Khris Middleton doesn’t have that luxury.

Perennially underappreciated, forever improving and strikingly smooth, Middleton is submitting the best campaign of his career—a worthy application to the festivities in Los Angeles. Yet he hasn’t even cracked the top-10 in voting for Eastern Conference forwards.

And more likely than not, he won’t going forward either. Perhaps the coaches will rectify that injustice when they select All-Star reserves, but for now, let’s take a moment to appreciate the magnificent season that Middleton’s putting forth.

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To get the box-score stats out of the way, Middleton is averaging 20.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game—all career highs.

Middleton’s true shooting percentage of 57.4 percent is also a career high. His usage percentage (24.5 percent) is another career high, but his turnover percentage (11.4 percent) is at its lowest in three years. He’s using more possessions than ever before, but his efficiency has increased and he’s coughing it up less.

Middleton’s made the leap from beloved role player on a stellar contract to full-blown star.

Middleton made his name on the defensive end, earning the label of “stopper” in 2014-15, when he finished eighth among all players in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus Minus.

However, he finished 140th and 86th in the following years and sits 404th (!) this year. Middleton’s crowning as one of the league’s elite defenders was clearly premature.

But sub-elite does not mean bad, and Middleton is certainly not bad. At worst, he’s adequate.

He’s long, tall and active—the perfect cocktail to fuel a modern defender—and can hold his own 1-4. For the last three years, the Bucks defense has been miles better with him on the court.

Competent, versatile defense on the perimeter carries a ton of value, but like most stars, Middleton’s greatest contributions come on the offensive end.

Middleton is one of the most complete offensive players in the NBA. He might be the league’s best mid-range operator, shooting 50 percent on such attempts. He artfully maneuvers around screens, routinely showcasing his smooth-as-butter pull-up game:

From behind the arc, Middleton’s a marksman. When the ball swings to him on spot-ups, his shot is quick and fluid:

His release is high and effortless — somewhat Klay Thompson-esque — and he needs minimal space to create good looks:

While the majority of his attempts from 3 come in the flow of the offense, when the ball swinging to him as the defense scrambles to recover from dribble penetration courtesy of Giannis or Eric Bledsoe, Middleton is capable enough on pull-ups, with strong mechanics and that signature, effortless stroke:

Middleton won’t be mistaken for LeBron James, but he’s strong as a passer. More willing than innovative, proficient than captivating, Middleton excels as a ball mover. He can be counted upon to make the right pass:

Despite his high usage, Middleton’s penchant for keeping teammates engaged has translated to an excellent assist-to-usage ratio of 0.74 (86th percentile among all forwards). He’s the rare star who gets his, but never fails to remember that basketball is a team game.

Khris Middleton is not without flaws — he can’t finish at the rim, for one — but no one is. Middleton, however, is good-to-great at virtually everything. As such, he’s earned recognition. The nature of the beast dictates that that recognition won’t come from All-Star voting, which truly is a shame, but what can you do?

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Instead, let’s appreciate Middleton, because last time I checked, you don’t have to play in New York or Los Angeles or have all of China behind you to earn that honor.

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