1-3 isn’t the sort of record the Milwaukee Bucks fans were hoping for in the preseason. Despite Khris Middleton‘s absence, that was far from ideal for Doc Rivers, who is already feeling the heat. To compound his misery, Shams Charania dropped a bombshell today, bearing some more bad news. And it’s about, you guessed it, Middleton.

The ESPN journalist stated the breaking news, “Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton is expected to miss Wednesday’s season opener vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Middleton is out to start the NBA season as he rehabs from offseason ankle surgeries. Bucks are cautiously progressing Middleton toward a return.”

According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers informed over the weekends that Middleton had restricted his practice to just skill development. However, before the news came out, the HC was hopeful that the veteran could return to the hardwood in the first game. “Rivers added there is still a chance Middleton plays in the season opener on Wednesday, but he needs to play 5-on-5 first.” 

Middleton had received the ankle sprain during Game 2 of the 2024 playoffs against the Pacers. Following the Bucks’ exit from the tournament, the 33-year-old underwent surgery. Though the team couldn’t qualify for the second round, Middleton had an impressive average of 24.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in the six games in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He not only shone in the playoffs but also in the 55 regular season games scoring 15.1 points per night. So, Rivers wanted to include him in the lineup, as his presence would have strengthened the existing roster. Unfortunately, that did not come to fruition. Yet, Doc is optimistic about the future.

Doc Rivers discusses Khris Middleton’s season opener miss

Before the news could be confirmed, Doc Rivers remained calm about Middleton’s situation. In fact, he acknowledged that he was not worried about Middleton’s absence from the first game. As per Yahoo Sports’ report, Rivers said, “We’re not gonna just say ‘all right,'” when questions regarding his presence popped up.

Reflecting the cautious approach, the head coach told the media, “If he doesn’t go [opening night] then we’ll wait ’til the next one. I’m really not concerned.” Rather he highlighted that it’ll be a long season. “Do I think he’ll play in Game 1? I’m hoping. Still pretty positive there. If he doesn’t, does it ruin my year? No. I think he’ll be healthy soon and we’ll have him a lot. So I’m not that concerned by it,” Rivers added.

There has been no confirmation about his return date yet but the Bucks would certainly hope it would be an early one. The competition in the East has already intensified with the Knicks making changes at the eleventh hour. So Milwaukee needs to buckle up for a thrilling competition and compete for the title if they want to keep Giannis around.