Welcome to the Brew Hoop Night Shift. Every evening at 9:00pm (central time), this all-purpose thread goes up, and the comments section is where it’s going down. What Bucks news did we not cover? What topics do you want to break down further? Or is there something non-Bucks that you want to bounce off of one another? Even something non-basketball? This is the place.
Tonight’s (on) topic: Khris Middleton, Elite?
Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton has become elite https://t.co/rc5xTeafAO
— Marques Johnson (@olskool888) March 28, 2018
I’m going to say, no he is not elite. Earning an All-Star or All-NBA team selection is a prerequisite to being an elite NBA player, in my mind, and Middleton has none of those.
The arguments from the article do not sway me to think otherwise.
Middleton is playing tremendous team ball, sharing and moving the rock with others... The ability to find a teammate with a better shot was crucial for the Bucks to keep winning.
This does not match-up with what the eye test on Middleton has shown. His propensity to hop on the “tough shot express” in favor of moving the ball back out to the perimeter has hamstrung his season assist numbers. I feel like a bulk of Middleton’s assists, game in and game out, come on transition to Giannis Antetokounmpo, or alley-oops to John Henson.
Middleton has taken more 3-point shots per game this season (5.0) than ever before. Unfortunately for the Bucks, Middleton is only hitting 36.1 percent from deep... He’s taking 10.4 shots per game from inside the arc, making a career best 5.4 field goals per game. This is good for 52.2 percent from the field.
Great! Except the Bucks have enough inside scoring weapons and not enough reliable and willing outside shot takers. That’s where Middleton has to live to elevate the Bucks and to probably be considered elite.
If Khris Middleton can keep this play up as the Bucks get all of their players back and into form, this could shape the Eastern Conference and things could get really interesting come playoff time.
Geez, how often have we all heard this before?
Tonight’s (off) topic: MLB Opening Day
America’s Pastime starts their marathon 162 game season tomorrow. The Houston Astros knocked off the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games to win the World Series last season. The MLB off-season has been littered with a depressed free agent market and players signing offer sheets well below what had been the market norm in previous years. Talks of owner collusion grew to shouts as more and more teams traded star players in favor of tanking and payroll control.
Focusing in on Milwaukee, the Brewers are a dark horse contender for the National League Central title. Of course, the Chicago Cubs are the odds on favorites and figure to make it three straight years as division champs. All I ask is that St. Louis Cardinals continue to miss the playoffs.
As a general rule, non-basketball topics are permitted in an open thread, provided that they follow the SB Nation Community Guidelines.