The Washington Wizards‘ season has started horribly, but that hasn’t stopped some players from adding to their career accomplishments. Washington’s lead guard, CJ McCollum, recently hit the 2,000 threes milestone, and now, Khris Middleton has hit a scoring milestone not many have hit before him.
Wizards Veteran Hits Impressive Career Scoring Milestone
Middleton, entering the twilight of his career, hit the 13,000 point mark in Washington’s blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. He is just the 240th player in league history to hit this milestone, and may have time to add just a little more before he retires.
Middleton’s Career
Middleton was drafted in 2012 by the Detroit Pistons. They took a chance on him with the 39th pick, and he’s outlasted just about everyone from his class. With the Pistons, Middleton scored his first 165 points in the league, averaging 6.1 points per game.
After being shipped to the Milwaukee Bucks before his second season, Middleton would grow into the player we will all remember him for. Middleton would become a three-time All-Star and an NBA champion during his 12 seasons with the Bucks. He would score almost 97% of his career points in Milwaukee, with 12,586 total points across 735 games with the Bucks, averaging out to 17.1 points per game.
Then, in a shocking deal, Middleton was swapped for Kyle Kuzma and sent to the nation’s capital. In just 24 games with the Wizards, Middleton has scored 249 points and sits exactly at 13,000 points for his career.
Middleton has been a consistent player whenever he’s been healthy enough to compete. However, if it weren’t for injuries, Middleton would be in a much different conversation.
Derailing Injuries
It almost seems that the Bucks sacrificed Middleton’s health to the basketball gods for their championship in 2021. Since then, Middleton has missed 137 games, far beyond the normal amount for any player. His injuries derailed his career, and part of the reason Milwaukee had to ship him out.
No doubt, without those injuries, Middleton would’ve hit this milestone years ago. However, unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game. Entire careers get altered after injuries, and Middleton is just one of the latest additions to that list.
From knee injuries to his major wrist injury in 2022, he’s been through the gauntlet. While it’s been an up-and-down 15 seasons, Middleton is still going strong. He’ll be looking to add to his scoring numbers before he’s done.
Middleton’s Scoring Outlook
Middleton’s scoring has taken a small hit since joining the Wizards last season. He’s averaging 10.4 points over his Wizards tenure. That could be due to taking a back seat for some of the younger Washington players during their development. With that, Middleton is also in his last year of his contract. His scoring outlook is a little clouded at the moment.
However, playing solely by numbers, let’s see just how many more points Middleton could score before his retirement. At 34, Middleton’s time in the league is nearing its end, but it’s safe to assume he will finish this season. Additionally, Middleton still has plenty to give a team, even if his role is reduced further.
With that, let’s say Middleton signs a two-year deal to become a more rotational player. With a diminished role, let’s use his current average of 10.4 points per game. If he plays every game for the rest of this season and two additional 82-game seasons, Middleton could score an additional 2,423 points, pushing his career total to 15,423.
It’s certainly hard to picture Middleton playing every game for the rest of his career; however, that would be maximizing his potential scoring numbers while taking his average from this season.
The Last Word
It’s truly a shame Middleton couldn’t ever hit his prime due to injuries. The Bucks’ title run was truly elite, and Middleton was playing his best ball before the injury bug came for him. He won’t go down as one of the biggest “what-ifs” in league history. However, Milwaukee could’ve been in a completely different position if Middleton stayed healthy.
© Erik Williams-Imagn Images
The post Wizards Veteran Hits Impressive Career Scoring Milestone appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.