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Khris Middleton continues to be sidelined; Doc Rivers says the veteran is taking a planned day off
Milwaukee Bucks veteran Khris Middleton missed his 12th straight game as he continues to rehab from an ankle sprain he suffered in a game against the Phoenix Suns in early February. According to Bucks coach Doc Rivers, Middleton has not suffered a setback but is still taking a planned day off to rest and recover.
Hasn’t had a live practice
As NBA teams enter the regular season, they rarely have live practices. With the grueling schedule and constant travel, most teams opt for walkthroughs or film sessions to prepare for games. This means Middleton has not been able to test his ankle in a full-contact setting with his teammates. While he has been able to do individual workouts and shooting drills, it is still prudent for him to participate in live practices before returning to game action.
"He's been on the floor, he just hasn't had a live practice," Rivers said.
"I don't know if any NBA team has a live practice the rest of the season from this point on. But we do a lot of two-on-two, three-on-three stuff, he's been able to do some of that, which is good."
Planned day off
Middleton was already ruled out of the game against the Warriors as early as Tuesday. Rivers explained that this was a planned day off for the veteran two-guard.
"Yeah. We went really hard yesterday, so that was planned for him today, just to take a day off," Doc shared.
It appears that Middleton may be nearing a return to the court. With the postseason looming, it is crucial that Khris gets his feet wet and acclimated to playing as soon as possible. However, when that happens, he will likely be on a minute restriction.
"I don't think it's due to injury, though. Before, it was more about the knee and stuff like that. I think it's more lungs," Doc added.
