Khris Middleton received a 5-year, $70 million extension this offseason from the Bucks. He isn’t heralded as a star, has never been an All-Star and was even traded once. And he just turned 24.
Middleton ranked 9th in the league in WAR – wins above replacement. His efficiency has improved each season in the NBA. His PER jumped 25.1% to 15.7 last season, ahead of Luol Deng and Paul Pierce. His true shooting percentage has increased in each season, as have his rebound percentage, assist percentage and steals percentage.
Middleton ranked 10th in the NBA last year in real plus/minus at +6.06 – his on-court impact on the team’s performance per 100 offensive and defensive possessions. The only small forwards with a better real plus/minus were LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green.
Middleton’s defensive impact in this metric ranked 8th in the NBA, ahead of feared defenders Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Rudy Gobert and Serge Ibaka.
His abilities as a terrific two-way player are also noted in the way he contributes to his team’s wins. Middleton was 1 of 26 players with at least 3 offensive win shares and 3 defensive win shares last season. The only other wing player under the age of 25 on that list is Kawhi Leonard.
The Bucks were 6.1% more efficient offensively with Middleton on the court last season, and 7.8% better defensively. Middleton’s net rating was +6.9, best on the team (min. 30 games played). Without him, the Bucks had a -7.1 net rating, worst on the team.
Peter Newmann is an analyst and writer who spent 10 years at ESPN, 8 as the NBA senior researcher working 24/7 on the league. He wrote game notes for crews, articles for ESPN.com, analysis for studio shows, and regularly assisted reporters and writers. Follow him on Twitter, and check out his Web site, www.peternewmann.com.