<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-khris-middleton-hits-washington-with-bold-playoff-declaration');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton hits Wizards with bold playoff declaration');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Khris-Middleton-hits-Washington-with-bold-playoff-declaration.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Khris Middleton hits Wizards with bold playoff declaration</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T13:23:58-07:00">March 28th, 1:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T13:23:58-07:00">March 28th, 1:23pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton has <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-intel-trae-young-dyson-daniels-caris-levert-khris-middleton-wizards-grizzlies-okc/" rel="noopener">expressed strong confidence</a> in the team’s potential, asserting that they are capable of making a playoff run next season. In a recent interview with HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Middleton emphasized the team’s competitiveness and the growth of its young core.​</p><p>“I think this team could definitely be a playoff team,” Middleton stated. “We had a stretch recently where we were competing against some of the playoff teams in some games, where we won some games and lost some others. I think if you give us a full offseason and give us a full season together, with the improvement of the young core, which is going to be huge, I think they can take a big step because of the way they work, how talented they are, and how smart they are.”​</p><p>Middleton, acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline, holds a player option for the 2025-26 season worth $34 million. His remarks come amid a challenging season for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-jordan-poole-alex-sarr-shushing-doubters">Wizards, who currently hold a 16-57 record</a> following a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-indiana-makes-franchise-history-win-vs-wizards">162-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers</a> on Thursday night.​</p><p>Despite the team’s struggles, Middleton highlighted recent competitive performances, including victories over the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons, as well as close contests against the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.​</p><h2><b>Khris Middleton guides young Wizards core with eyes set on future playoff contention</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Khris-Middleton-32-looks-on-during-the-first-half-against-the-Portland-Trail-Blazers.jpg"><figcaption>© Soobum Im-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Beyond his on-court contributions, Middleton has embraced a mentorship role with Washington’s young talents, notably rookie forward Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and second-year wing Bilal Coulibaly, the No. 7 pick in 2023.​</p><p>“I talk to them about daily habits, competing, and going through the process,” Middleton explained. “I’m not really trying to tell them what to do, but helping them figure it out and giving them advice along the way. I try to encourage them.”​</p><p>He also praised their development, noting, “I’ve learned how skillful they are for their age. These are first and second-year players with confidence. They have all the intangibles, like how quickly they pick up on things. The results haven’t shown, but I think they play at a high level.”​</p><p>As the Washington Wizards focus on rebuilding, internal development remains a priority. Middleton’s presence offers a bridge between the team’s veteran leadership and its emerging talent.​</p><p>Looking ahead, Washington will conclude its current five-game homestand with a matchup against the Orlando Magic (35-39) before embarking on a two-game road trip to face the Indiana Pacers (43-30) and the Boston Celtics (54-19). While the Wizards are eliminated from playoff contention this season, Middleton’s optimism suggests a belief in the team’s upward trajectory.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton hits Wizards with bold playoff declaration

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-khris-middleton-painful-admission-about-milwaukee-losing-faith-in-him');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton’s painful admission about Bucks losing faith in him');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Bucks-news-Khris-Middletons-painful-admission-about-Milwaukee-losing-faith-in-him.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton’s painful admission about Bucks losing faith in him</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-23T20:05:44-08:00">February 23rd, 8:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-24T15:45:14-08:00">February 24th, 3:45pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the Milwaukee Bucks decided to trade Jrue Holiday away for Damian Lillard prior to the start of the 2023-24 season, it showed that the front office had little room for sentiment amid their ongoing quest to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with the best possible roster.</p><p>And with the Bucks struggling a bit to start the 2024-25 season, it was only a matter of time before they decided to make some changes yet again — this time trading one of the most important players in the history of the franchise, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-khris-middletons-heartfelt-goodbye-to-milwaukee-after-kyle-kuzma-trade">Khris Middleton, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kyle Kuzma</a>.</p><p>The past few seasons have been quite rough for Middleton on the injury front; this past offseason, he underwent surgeries on both ankles to help get his body right for the long haul.</p><p>But the Bucks felt like they were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6152732/2025/02/22/khris-middleton-wizards-bucks-giannis/" rel="noopener">racing up against a ticking clock</a>, and they could wait no longer for Middleton to get his footing back — much to the disappointment of the 33-year-old forward who’s always given it his all for the franchise.</p><p>“They leaned on me in a lot of different ways. Giannis goes down? They counted on me to take them to the next round, things like that. Giannis is in and out, or we need a big shot, or we need whatever, they counted on me many times. And I guess they couldn’t count on me,” Middleton said in an interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic.</p><p>“I’ve had many opportunities. I mean, that’s the way I’ve kind of looked at it. My time ran out. Simple as that.”</p><h2><b>An ode to Khris Middleton’s successful Bucks stint</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Wizards-forward-Khris-Middleton-32-drives.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Khris Middleton is a Bucks legend through and through. Picked up in the Brandon Jennings-Brandon Knight swap back in 2013, the 6’8″ forward emerged as one of the most consistent shot-creators on the wing for nearly a decade, and the Bucks relied on him quite a lot to create offense.</p><p>And it worked. They won the championship in 2021, with Middleton nailing a tough midrange jumpshot to ice the game in Game 6 of that series.</p><p>To the Bucks’ credit, they did try to give Middleton as much time as they could to recuperate. And for a while, it looked like it was only going to be a matter of time before the veteran forward regained his form for good. His performances during the 2024 NBA playoffs certainly indicated as such.</p><p>Alas, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-gm-hardest-revelation-khris-middleton-kyle-kuzma-trade">Bucks felt like they had to do something</a> to make better sense of the team they had, and with the cap restrictions brought forth by the new CBA, trading Middleton away was the path of least resistance when it came to acquiring some reinforcements. Nonetheless, Middleton’s No. 22 should be hanging in the Fiserv Forum rafters once his career is over.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton’s painful admission about Bucks losing faith in him

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-bilal-coulibaly-khris-middleton');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly gets honest about Khris Middleton');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Wizards-news-Bilal-Coulibaly-gets-honest-about-Khris-Middleton.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly gets honest about Khris Middleton</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-23T08:05:41-08:00">February 23rd, 8:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-23T09:15:45-08:00">February 23rd, 9:15am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards are still adjusting after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/bucks-news-khris-middleton-wizards-kyle-kuzma-trade">swapping Kyle Kuzma for Khris Middleton</a> in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 5. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-khris-middleton-highs-lows-washington-debut">Middleton has only played one game</a> with the Wizards (9-46) so far, but he’s already made an impression in the locker room.</p><p>Bilal Coulibaly <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1893362627880878577" rel="noopener">said that the former</a> NBA champion “is great” after Saturday’s practice.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bilal Coulibaly is happy to have Khris Middleton around. Said that the young core has “a lot to learn” from the 13th-year vet. <a href="https://t.co/eBNvwdP0ec">pic.twitter.com/eBNvwdP0ec</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1893362627880878577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“[He’s] great, man. He’s talking to everybody, he wants to help,” the second-year guard said. “Whenever you got a question, he’s gonna answer. He knows a lot about the game, so we’ve got a lot to learn from him.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-khris-middleton-breaks-silence-bucks-trade">Middleton mentioned on Wednesday</a> that while he’s willing to be a mentor, he also wants to focus on winning and being competitive. However, the two go hand in hand, as leading by example is one of the best ways to teach the youngsters.</p><p>It almost worked on Friday night, as Middleton took the last three shots for Washington in its 104-101 loss to the Bucks (31-24). The first was a contested three that he drilled from the top of the key over Kevin Porter Jr. with 1:01 left, which Coulibaly assisted.</p><p>Unfortunately, the second was a layup that got blocked by Brook Lopez with 33 seconds left, and the third was a contested three off an inbound pass that clanked off the backboard at the buzzer.</p><p>The 33-year-old earned the right to take those shots throughout the game, though. He knocked down his first two jumpers in the first quarter, one being his patented fadeaway from midrange and the other a swish from midrange while being fouled. He then contributed in every facet as the contest went on, totaling five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.</p><p>Jordan Poole, on the other hand, was having a quiet night. After a 42-point outing in the Wizards’ 134-130 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers before the All-Star break, the 25-year-old had just 11 points (3-11 FG, 0-5 3 PT). He usually gets the last shot, but this was the perfect time for Washington to try something new.</p><p>It didn’t work out, but <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1893361079083807030" rel="noopener">one game won’t deter</a> Wizards head coach Brian Keefe from going to Middleton, or anybody, in crunch time again.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said that the “closer” can change from “minute to minute and game to game.” Could be Khris Middleton, Jordan Poole or someone else based on matchups and game flow.</p><p>Middleton took the last two shots last night in his first game with the team. <a href="https://t.co/SezWvj77Vi">pic.twitter.com/SezWvj77Vi</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1893361079083807030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Those things you’re always looking at minute to minute, game to game, matchups, things you’re seeing on the court live,” he said. “We’ve got multiple guys that we can put the balls in their hands and make plays, so it might not even be just those two [Middleton and Poole]. We’ve used a variety of guys down the stretch of games, so we’ll continue do that.”</p><p>Speaking of other options, Kyshawn George has made a case for himself recently.</p><h2><b>Young Wizards shine in different ways</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Wizards-Kyshawn-George.jpg"></figure><p>One of the best ways for a young player to stand out is to contribute in other ways on bad shooting nights, and George did just that on Friday. The rookie scored only four points (1-11 FG, 1-5 3PT), but added nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal across 34 minutes. He led the team in rebounds and blocks while co-leading in assists with Poole.</p><p>This didn’t happen by accident, as George mentioned on Saturday that he’s <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1893680820537201077" rel="noopener">worked on improving his skills</a> outside of scoring.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kyshawn George told me yesterday that he’s looking to expand his game into different areas. The rookie’s primarily known for shooting, but he led the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wizards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wizards</a> in rebounds (9) and blocks (2) on Friday night, while also tying for the lead in assists (5). <a href="https://t.co/GxPuCyjHYs">pic.twitter.com/GxPuCyjHYs</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1893680820537201077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Yeah, for sure. I think I need to expand my game in different areas,” the Miami alum said. “Obviously my shooting is what I’m known for first, but now people are saying I can defend multiple positions and playmake as well. I think rebounding is an aspect that we can all control, just going and getting the ball. It’s something I’m looking forward to.”</p><p>Friday, though, was the first time that George struggled to score since Washington traded Kuzma. The 21-year-old averaged 14.8 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting from Feb. 5-12, with a 56.5 percent clip from deep. That’s significant for a player who still averages just eight points on 35.7 percent shooting (31 percent from three) on the season. Keefe could let him close out some games down the stretch if he catches fire like that again.</p><p>Kuzma’s absence seemed to help George unlock a new level in his game, at least when Middleton was also out. However, the No. 24 overall pick was still happy to see his former teammate on Friday.</p><p>“It was cool, it was nice to compete against him on the court,” George said. “It’s fun to start seeing the business side of the NBA, being able to play with someone in the beginning of the season and then compete against them in the second half.”</p><p>Kuzma had a good night in his return to D.C., leading Milwaukee with 19 points (8-19 FG, 2-7 3PT). The 29-year-old also tallied eight rebounds, five assists, and a steal across 34 minutes, showing why he’s an important contributor in the Bucks’ quest for a title.</p><p>However, there’s no doubt that dealing him was the right move for the Wizards. They need long-term pieces, and landing No. 23 overall pick AJ Johnson was well worth it. The rookie has already shown promise, as he dunked on 2025 All-Star Evan Mobley for his first bucket with Washington in its 134-124 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 7.</p><p>Johnson also led the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards’ G League affiliate) with a career-high 25 points (8-17 FG, 5-11 3 PT) and six assists across 35 minutes in their 128-107 win over the Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls’ affiliate) on Saturday.</p><p>That’s not to mention Colby Jones, who Washington sent down to the G League along with Johnson just hours before the game. The 22-year-old, who the Wizards acquired from the Sacramento <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/grizzlies-news-memphis-makes-marcus-smart-deal-wizards-beat-trade-deadline-buzzer">Kings in the Marcus Smart trade</a>, added 17 points (6-11 FG, 3-6 3PT) with seven rebounds, five steals, and four assists in 33 minutes.</p><p>It’s safe to say that Washington has a bevy of talented youngsters that can learn from Middleton, whether or not he takes the last shot.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly gets honest about Khris Middleton

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-khris-middleton-highs-lows-washington-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton shows highs and lows in Wizards debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Wizards-news-Khris-Middleton-shows-highs-and-lows-in-Washington-debut.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton shows highs and lows in Wizards debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-21T20:51:29-08:00">February 21st, 8:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-21T23:20:03-08:00">February 21st, 11:20pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/washington-wizards-2025-nba-trade-deadline-grade-marcus-smart-2">new-look Washington Wizards</a> learned plenty about both their veterans and youngsters in their 104-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-khris-middleton-breaks-silence-bucks-trade">Khris Middleton was a centerpiece</a> of those revelations in his first game with his new team.</p><p>The 33-year-old scored 12 points (4-10 FG, 1-4 3 PT) with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals across 25 minutes, but missed the last two shots in crunch time against his former squad. However, Wizards (9-46) coach Brian Keefe didn’t regret running the offense through Middleton to close out the contest.</p><p>“He’s been doing this a long time,” he said. “He’s done this at a high level, so we have trust in him to be able to execute. He’s a closer, has been for a very long time in this league, and we’re gonna take advantage of having him on our roster.”</p><p>Indeed, Middleton made his bones as a second option next to Giannis Antetokounmpo over the last decade, earning three All-Star selections and a championship ring in the process. The Texas A&amp;M alum was blocked in the paint by Brook Lopez with 33 seconds left and missed the game-tying three with Kyle Kuzma’s hand in his face at the buzzer, but that won’t keep Washington from looking to him when it matters most.</p><p>His <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1893126325210144900" rel="noopener">contested three over</a> Kevin Porter Jr. with 1:01 left in the game showed why.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qme">🫢 <a href="https://t.co/Er0J1Gui7W">https://t.co/Er0J1Gui7W</a> <a href="https://t.co/t02Cw1QDrF">pic.twitter.com/t02Cw1QDrF</a></p><p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1893126325210144900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Part of having veteran mentors leading the squad is letting them show the youngsters how to win. It didn’t work out in this case, but Middleton has earned the right to lead by example in the biggest moments. After all, the former Olympian owns the Bucks’ (31-24) franchise record for made threes.</p><p>Speaking of the youngsters, this was another good night for both Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George. Sarr out-dueled Antetokounmpo, scoring a career-high 22 points (8-19 FG, 4-10 3 PT) with seven rebounds, two steals, one assist, one block, and two turnovers across 26 minutes.</p><p>Meanwhile, the “Greek Freak” tallied 18 points (6-9 FG) with six boards, three assists, one steal, a rejection, and a game-high seven turnovers in 19 minutes. He also fouled out with 3:36 left.</p><p>Additionally, George made up for his poor shooting night (four points, 1-11 FG) with a superb defensive and rebounding effort. The 21-year-old ended Antetokounmpo’s outing by <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1893124645156499576" rel="noopener">blocking his layup</a>, corralling the board, and drawing the superstar’s sixth and final foul.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ACCESS DENIED 🔒 <a href="https://t.co/9K0yK7gfq6">pic.twitter.com/9K0yK7gfq6</a></p><p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1893124645156499576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>George led the Wizards with nine rebounds and two blocks, while also tying for the team lead with five assists. He added a steal as well across 34 minutes.</p><p>Although the wins haven’t come yet, the fact that Washington’s rookies are impacting all phases of the game against playoff teams is an exciting development for the rebuilding franchise.</p><h2><b>Giannis Antetokounmpo compliments Wizards’ youngsters</b></h2><p>It’s not easy to contain Antetokounmpo, as the two-time MVP averages 31.5 points on 61 percent shooting with 12.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Those numbers rank second, eighth, fifth, and 25th respectively, but the basketball titan was not the same player on Friday. It’s no surprise <a href="https://twitter.com/bijan_todd/status/1893143088089989177" rel="noopener">that he gushed over</a> Washington’s young core post-game, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bijan Todd.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I asked Giannis about Wizards rookies (again). His answer provided some amazing advice (again).</p><p>Says it’s tempting to want to “get yours” on a rebuilding team, but building good team-focused habits is key.</p><p>Says he’s excited to see what the “very talented” group can become. <a href="https://t.co/pQQOMdWQUH">pic.twitter.com/pQQOMdWQUH</a></p><p>— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) <a href="https://twitter.com/bijan_todd/status/1893143088089989177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“[They’re] great. [They] play hard. They’re trying to figure out their spots right now, but you can see that they’re very, very talented,” Antetokounmpo said. “They just gotta keep on learning how to play the game. Creating good habits, because sometimes when you’re not on a very good team, you can develop some bad habits, or you can think about how you can get yours.”</p><p>“But if you keep playing the right way and play winning basketball…you’re gonna develop a great talent,” he continued. “They’re young, though, they’re very young. They have bright futures…so I’m excited to see them in the future.”</p><p>There’s no better habit than focusing on defense, rebounding, and passing when shots aren’t falling. It’s a classic veteran move, and George is already learning how to do that at a high level despite having just one NCAA season and 48 NBA games under his belt. Imagine how far along the rookie will be by this time next season.</p><p>Ditto for Sarr, whose ability to balance rim protection with offense is promising, especially after shooting just 9-of-47 from the floor in Summer League. The No. 2 overall pick’s four threes on Friday tied Corey Kispert for the most on the team, and his last one shrunk the deficit to 100-96 with 2:39 left.</p><p>Next up is a road date with the Orlando Magic (28-30) on Sunday, who represent what the Wizards are trying to become. The team is led by 2024 All-Star Paolo Banchero, who it drafted No. 1 overall in 2022, as well as Franz Wagner (25.1 PPG) and Jalen Suggs (16.2 PPG). Orlando drafted Wagner No. 8 overall in ’21 and Suggs No. 5 the same year.</p><p>A good performance against the Magic by Washington’s youngsters would be a symbolic moment in the team’s rebuild. The Wizards are nowhere near where they want to be yet, but they’re getting a step closer with each quality outing.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton shows highs and lows in Wizards debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middletons-heartfelt-goodbye-to-milwaukee-after-kyle-kuzma-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton’s heartfelt goodbye to Bucks after Kyle Kuzma trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Bucks-news-Khris-Middleton-s-heartfelt-goodbye-to-Milwaukee-after-Kyle-Kuzma-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton’s heartfelt goodbye to Bucks after Kyle Kuzma trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-14T14:29:32-08:00">February 14th, 2:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-14T15:14:53-08:00">February 14th, 3:14pm</time><address><a>Randall Barnes</a>Randall Barnes is a Fall 2019 Graduate of Fort Valley State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Fort Valley, Georgia, where he majored in Media Studies. He is the Founder of HBCU Pulse, a multimedia outlet with the mission to tell the authentic stories of HBCU Life via traditional, digital and social media outlets to amplify our voice. He is also the host of HBCU Pulse Radio, which can be heard on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU Fridays at 5 p.m. EST and wherever you get your podcasts.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-ex-teammates-amusing-reaction-wizards-trade">trade to the Washington Wizards from the Milwaukee Bucks last week, Khris Middleton</a> penned a heartfelt goodbye to the Bucks fans. The former Bucks forward <a href="https://x.com/Khris22m/status/1890502315834020125" rel="noopener">posted the letter</a> on his social media accounts.</p><p>The letter reads:</p><p>“<i>Twelve years ago, I arrived in this city as a young player with big dreams. Today, I leave as an NBA champion, 3x All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist, and most importantly, someone who Milwaukee helped shape into the person and player I am today.</i></p><p><i>From the moment I stepped foot in this city, you embraced me. Together, we experienced the rebuilding years, the emergence of a championship contender, and ultimately, the unforgettable journey to the 2021 NBA Championship.</i></p><p><i>That magical run will stay with me forever – the late-game shots, the comeback victories, and most importantly, bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Milwaukee after 50 years.</i></p><p><i>To the incredible Bucks fans: Your passion and support through every up and down has been nothing short of amazing. From the early days at the Bradley Center, to the energy at Fiserv Forum and the packed Deer District during our championship run — the way this entire city rallies behind its team is something special that Ill always cherish.</i></p><p><i>To the Bucks organization: Thank you for believing in me, developing me, and giving me the opportunity to grow from a trade piece into an All-Star and champion.</i><br><i>To the Milwaukee community: This city has become my home.</i></p><p><i>The relationships built, the community initiatives we’ve worked on together, and the countless memories made both on and off the court will stay with me forever.</i></p><p><i>As I begin this new chapter, I’m excited for the opportunities ahead. But Milwaukee will always hold a special place in my heart.</i></p><p><i>This isn’t goodbye – it’s thank you.</i>”</p><p>Khris Middleton was a cornerstone of the Bucks, playing a crucial role in their 2021 championship run and their continued pursuit of titles. Over 735 games with the team, Middleton averaged 17.1 points per game and was known as the team’s closer before Damian Lillard’s arrival in the 2023-2024 season.</p><p>He often delivered clutch shots to secure victories for Milwaukee. However, persistent injuries began to take a toll, impacting his role on the team.</p><p>This season, Middleton is averaging just 12.6 points over 23 games—his lowest since his first season with the Bucks in 2013-14. During the offseason, he underwent arthroscopic surgeries on both ankles, further hindering his performance.</p><p>Still, Middleton was a fan favorite as well as being well-liked in the locker room. Following Middleton’s trade, Bucks star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-powerful-2-word-khris-middleton-trade">Giannis Antetokounmpo took to his social media to show his love</a> for his former teammate, posting two pictures of Middleton with the words, “My GOAT.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.4	3.7	4.4	0.2	0.8

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.4	3.7	4.4	0.2	0.8

Khris Middleton

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Khris Middleton shows highs and lows in Wizards debut

Khris Middleton’s heartfelt goodbye to Bucks after Kyle Kuzma trade

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