Middleton gets off to explosive start
In the lead up to the Milwaukee Bucks' departure for the Walt Disney World bubble, all-star Khris Middleton offered up the admission that there was a period of about two to three months during the extended hiatus that he didn't pick up a basketball. He was doing everything else to stay in shape, but shooting or even just dribbling wasn't part of his regimen.
Considering how critical Middleton is to Milwaukee's title chances, any potential letdown on his part could be construed as particularly detrimental. However, the signal from the team's practices is that no letdown should be expected.
During Monday's Zoom media availability, veteran Bucks wing Kyle Korver praised his teammates collectively for the way they came into this summer training camp in shape and ready to go. He noted that multiple players had slimmed down, bulked up and appeared to be in even better shape than they were back in March.
Asked if anyone, in particular, stood out to him, Korver didn't hesitate.
“I've been super impressed with Khris,” he said. “I think he looks great. I haven't seen him move this explosively, change directions as well as he is right now. I think he really took advantage of his time.”
Coach Mike Budenholzer agreed with Korver's observation, pointing out that Middleton's focus and professional approach over the hiatus were carrying over into the team's five-on-five scrimmages at Walt Disney World over the past week.
Middleton shrugged off Korver's compliment. He was just doing what all of his teammates were doing — finding ways to stay active despite being forced away from the court.
He's not often described as “explosive” — Middleton's ability to get up for dunks is a fairly public inside joke around the team — but Middleton hopes his retooled body will serve him well when the season resumes in earnest.
“I just tried to lose a bit of weight, get stronger — that was the main thing — so I could be fully healthy, at full strength, so I could play my best basketball,” Middleton
said. “That's really what it was all about, trying to find a way to get myself to be in the best shape that I can to play.”
Scrimmage minutes
The Bucks have their first scrimmage of the restart at 2 p.m. Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. This 40-minute game will be their first contest against an opponent since March 9 in Denver — a game in which seven rotation players didn't even get on the court.
When it comes to Thursday's game, who will suit up again is in question. Given the long lay-off, Budenholzer will likely want to get his top players some run, but will also have to strike a balance with their minutes and not overtax them in a meaningless scrimmage.
Budenholzer said Monday that he doesn't have a fully fleshed-out plan for Thursday's scrimmage, but the expects reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will play in at least that first contest of three preseason tilts.
“I would say we're really happy with Giannis in the scrimmages that we've been doing,” Budenholzer said. “If things continue to go well, then I'm sure there will be one of them that he may play significantly less or not at all. He'll play the first one when we play San Antonio and then we'll just figure out what we want to do the next two.”
Roster decision
When the NBA decided to restart its season on a single campus in Orlando, it meant limiting each of the 22 teams to a 35-person travel party. That group included all players, coaches and staff, meaning each team needed to make cuts as it saw fit.
Half of the 22 teams decided to bring their full complement of 17 players — 15 players on standard NBA contracts and two on two-way contracts. When rosters were unveiled Monday, the Bucks were in the other half — opting to bring just 16 players to Walt Disney World.
The odd man out for them was Cameron Reynolds, a 6-foot-7 guard on a two-way contract who spent most of his season with the G League's Wisconsin Herd and did not appear in any Bucks games.
While Reynolds didn't impact the Bucks on the court this season, Budenholzer praised the 25-year-old's work ethic and still believes he has a bright future.
“It's really hard not to bring him,” Budenholzer said. “But at some point ... you start thinking, ‘How do we make sure that, whether it be the top eight, nine, 10, 11 guys, have the best health from our sports performance, whether it be a massage person, a physical therapist, strength and conditioning coaches.'
“Obviously, you guys know how I feel about my assistant coaches. How we use them in practice and drills. It's a very active gym. Basically, everybody that's in there, they're doubling up on duties and doing extra things.”
Mask up
The Bucks have been in the Disney bubble for nearly two weeks, which means they've settled in and have gotten used to resort life.
They've gone fishing, hit the golf course, played video games together, explored the grounds, eaten meals together and hope to get a chance to go bowling as a group soon.
All the while they've had to follow the NBA's guidelines regarding social distancing and taking proper precautions against the potential spread of coronavirus.
“It's been easy,” Middleton said. “I mean, it's not hard to put on a mask and walk around inside or outside. So, I mean, as long as we're safe — and that's the safest thing to do, it's the easiest thing to do — we shouldn't have a problem doing it.”