Milwaukee Bucks: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

8. Khris Middleton carries Bucks without Giannis

This season the Milwaukee Bucks rose and fell with their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo. As with nearly every team with a superstar, the Bucks played much worse when their star sat. When Antetokounmpo was on the court, the Bucks were +5.4 per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. Conversely, they were -6.1 when he sat.

Late in November the Bucks faced the prospect of an entire game without Antetokounmpo as they went on the road to take on the Phoenix Suns. In addition, the Bucks had to deal with injuries to John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova and the debilitating presence of head coach Jason Kidd, who played DeAndre Liggins 41 minutes.

Khris Middleton, career second option, stepped up when asked to carry the mantle for a game. He scored 40 points on 14-of-26 shooting from the field, going to the line for 11 free throw attempts. He was active without the ball as well, pulling down nine rebounds and snagging four steals.

Middleton is miscast as a first option, but every once in a while he pulls out a Herculean effort to lead the Bucks offense. In a game without three key rotation players — and the very worst of replacements — he showed that he has a lot of weapons in his arsenal. It may have been one game, but it gave Bucks fans confidence in their team’s wingman.