Mike Budenholzer says Milwaukee Bucks’ success hinges on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton

Needless to say, the Milwaukee Bucks need to have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton at their disposal if they are to go deep in the current NBA season.

Coach Bud loves having his stars back

Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer could not emphasize the value of the two All-Stars teammates enough as he watched them play together for the first time in more than a month in their 150-130 routing of the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo and Middleton have essential roles to play in the team’s quest for a third championship.

“They’ve been together longer than any of us on this current roster or staff,” said Budenholzer, who is in his fifth season with the franchise. “They’re the ones that have built this program to what it is. They play at an amazingly high level.”

In his first game after a five-game absence, Antetokounmpo terrorized the Pistons with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. The Greek Freak unloaded 20 points of his total output in the first quarter, propelling the Bucks to a commanding 49-24 lead. The Bucks did not look back after that searing run in the opening period. The Bucks have gone 6-5 when playing without Antetokounmpo this season. The agile forward is averaging 30.9 points and 11.9 rebounds.

Step by step for Khris

On the other hand, Middleton saw action for the first time after sitting out for 18 straight games due to a sore knee. Against Detroit, Middleton delivered eight points, four assists, and two rebounds in just 15 minutes of play.

Middleton, who also missed the Bucks’ first 20 games of the season with a wrist injury, came off the bench in that game as Budenholzer will try to integrate him back into the starting unit slowly.

Giannis and Middleton both joined the Bucks in 2013 and have developed a strong chemistry that benefited the Bucks immensely. Coach Budenholzer said the Bucks are simply a different team when the two players are around.

“There’s a connection, and their skill sets go well together when they’re at their best. We have a really good roster and team that needs those two guys, and we are our best with them,” Budenholzer said.