Bucks' Khris Middleton: Could return sometime in February

Middleton (hamstring) could return sometime in early-to-mid-February, Marc Stein of ESPN reports.

Analysis:

After Middleton tore his left hamstring during a pre-training camp workout, the Bucks initially feared that he might miss most, or all, of the 2016-17 season, but the wing appears to be well ahead of schedule in his recovery. Nothing is set in stone at the point, but Bucks officials believe Middleton "has a chance" to return to game action sometime during the team's homestand in mid-February, just before the All-Star Game. While Middleton would likely require a few weeks to get back up to speed, he would provide a major boost to a Milwaukee team that's void of high-end talent, outside of the combination of Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Middleton, who was arguably Milwaukee's most consistent player last season, is coming off of a year in which he averaged 18.2 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds, while shooting just under 40 percent from three. The outside shooting ability is perhaps Middleton's best asset, and once healthy he would provide an immediate upgrade over Tony Snell, who the Bucks essentially brought in as a placeholder shortly after Middleton's injury.