“Stop It”: Shaquille O’Neal Defends NBA Legend From Charles Barkley’s Khris Middleton Comparison

The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off an unprecedented win against the Indiana Pacers in their own backyard. After falling to 3-1, the hopes were bleak. Additionally, Milwaukee checked in without their top 2 scorers, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Despite their weakened state, the Deers rushed through the Pacers’ early lead and ultimately shredded them to pieces.

The biggest contributor for the third game in a row was Khris Middleton. After an uncomfortable few months with recurring injuries, he seems to be back playing his best basketball once again. In the absence of their heavy hitters, Middleton turned up the heat and top-scored with 29 points to secure a 92-115 win and force a Game 6.

His dazzling performance impressed the experts at Inside the NBA. However, Shaquille O’Neal had to stop Charles Barkley after he made what the Diesel felt was an unjustified comparison.

Shaquille O’Neal denies Khris Middleton is the new-age Jamal Crawford

After the Milwaukee Bucks left the Pacers cold, the action shifted to the sets of Inside the NBA. As they watched the highlights, Charles Barkley seemed particularly impressed with Middleton, the cornerstone of the current Bucks. Labeling him a “professional scorer”, the Hall of Famer dubbed him as the modern generation’s Jamal Crawford.

Shaquille O’Neal readily disagreed. “Stop it. Yeah just stop it. He is Michael Redd; that’s what he is,” the Big Diesel said convincingly.

Barkley later clarified that he wasn’t a direct scorer. He used Crawford’s parallel only to enunciate that Khris Middleton is a trained bucket-getter, just like the three-time Sixth Man of The Year winner. In all fairness to Shaq, they do have a different tempo and customized skillset that fits their abilities.

Crawford got street-ball to the NBA. The Clippers legend had nasty handles, speed, and an innate eye to find ways to score. Middleton, on the other hand, plays at his own pace. He slows the game down to his convenience and works around his teammates. Since the Lillard trade, he has probably had to adjust the most since shifting down the scoring pecking order.

The similarities come in their ability to turn games over their heads. Middleton did it with a buzzer-beater to force overtime two games ago, and he once again stepped up tonight to give the Bucks a fighting chance in this series.

In the five games so far, Middleton has averaged 26.8 points per game, only behind Lillard on the Bucks. His valiant effort tonight could just be the highlight of this series, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard are both very close to returning. If the Bucks manage to flip the script, Khris Middleton needs to be hailed as the hero.