MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton probably won鈥檛 be available for the beginning of the season after undergoing surgery on his left wrist this summer.
鈥淗opefully soon after that.鈥� the three-time All-Star said Sunday at the Bucks鈥� Media Day event.
Middleton said he played through the wrist injury late last season before undergoing surgery. He was wearing a cast for much of the offseason before having it removed two weeks ago.
鈥淪ometime around after the All-Star break, I just felt it during one game and it kind of just never went away,鈥� Middleton said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 too painful, just something that was going to have to be fixed at some point.鈥�
The injury isn鈥檛 related to the issue that ended Middleton鈥檚 2021-22 playoff run early.
during Game 2 of the Bucks鈥� first-round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls and didn鈥檛 play again, missing the entire
The loss to Boston ended Milwaukee鈥檚 bid for a second straight title and has provided plenty of motivation as the Bucks prepare for the upcoming season.
When he was asked Sunday about his reaction to people calling him the best player in the world, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo said that title should go to Stephen Curry, who led the Golden State Warriors to the most recent championship.
鈥淒o I believe I鈥檓 the best player in the world? No,鈥� Antetokounmpo said. 鈥淚 think the best player in the world is the person that is the last one standing, the person that takes his team to the final, to the finish line and helps them win games and become champion.鈥�
The Bucks return with virtually the same roster they had last year. That roster doesn鈥檛 currently include restricted free agent Jordan Nwora, but general manager Jon Horst said Sunday that 鈥淛ordan鈥檚 going to be with us鈥� while adding that the Bucks are still working out final details with the 2020 second-round draft pick from Louisville.
The only players on Milwaukee鈥檚 training camp roster who weren鈥檛 part of the team at some point last season are rookies MarJon Beauchamp and AJ Green, Marques Bolden and veteran free-agent acquisition Joe Ingles.
Ingles won鈥檛 be ready for the start of the season as he r Ingles played 45 games in the 2021-22 season before hurting the knee in late January, knocking him out for the rest of that season.
Horst said Ingles could return as early as December but more realistically would make his Bucks' debut in January.
鈥淚鈥檓 very confident, but it鈥檚 just a bit of a process at the moment of seeing how it goes,鈥� Ingles said.
One player who鈥檚 feeling better after an injury-riddled 2021-22 season is reserve guard George Hill, who dealt with neck and abdominal issues that limited him to 54 games. The 36-year-old Hill said he considered retirement but didn鈥檛 want to end his career with that kind of season.
鈥淚 felt like I let the city of Milwaukee down last year not being able to perform the way I normally perform,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淚 let my teammates down, being injured. And I thought about (retiring), but as a competitor, I didn鈥檛 want to go out like that.鈥�
Milwaukee鈥檚 injury list isn鈥檛 limited to the players.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer had replacement surgery on his right ankle 4 1/2-5 1/2 weeks ago and had a scooter next to him as he sat and spoke to reporters. He wasn鈥檛 sure how the injury might impact him as the Bucks begin their preseason schedule Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies before heading to Abu Dhabi for exhibition games with the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 6 and Oct. 8.
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Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
