The 75 greatest NBA players of the 2010s, ranked

59) Khris Middleton

Former second-round pick Khris Middleton is one of the more unlikely players to make the list but he is definitely deserving of inclusion. Middleton made his debut with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2012 and played seven seasons in the decade. 

Still, it took a few years for him to become a star player. In his fourth season, he saw his scoring increase by nearly five per game, up from 13.4 to 18.2. Two seasons later, in 2017-18, he would have the best year of his career thus far by averaging 20.1 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. 

Nevertheless, he didn't make his first all-star team in the final season of the decade, averaging 18.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. That helped Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Bucks to 60 wins that year and make the Eastern Conference Finals but they lost to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors. 

With averages of 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, Middleton had a strong decade, although he had a stronger 2020's, including averaging 20 points per game for three years straight, making two more all-star teams and winning a championship. Even without those accomplishments on his resume, Middleton comes in at a respectable 58 on this list.