Milwaukee Bucks fans only had 24 hours and change to celebrate Giannis Antetokounmpo’s extension before shit the hit the fan with the 2016-2017 season. They announced in a preseason workout that Khris Middleton tore his hamstring and will require surgery. He will be out for six months which is practically the season. There’s reason to panic in Milwaukee this morning because Middleton is the glue that holds everything together for this young team.

It’s a major loss for a team who had decently high expectations for the season. Where do the Bucks go from here? It’s hard to replace Middleton’s production, but Bucks need to try their damnedest.

1. Make a trade for a scoring wing who can shoot
There are a few names out there on a Bucks fan’s wish list, but Milwaukee needs to move one of their big men for a wing player who can contribute 10 to 15 points a game. Greg Monroe is the obvious name to try and move him yet John Henson might have more value than Monroe right now. John Hammond is on the phone all weekend. Training camp is under two weeks away so Milwaukee needs to make a move quickly.

2. Rashad Vaughn era starts earlier than expected
Not sure he’s ready for major minutes, but Milwaukee could look to their 2015 first round draft pick, Rashad Vaughn to be the answer. He showed some flashes last season and think this would be a Davante Adams-type situation (Sorry to use other sports comparison, but it works here). Vaughn would probably frustrate the hell out of fans and would probably show himself as not ready for major minutes.

3. Giannis and Jabari need to play even bigger roles
Not sure if this is possible, but Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker will need to be even bigger factors in the Bucks offense this season. This is the fascinating subplot of the season now. These two get the reigns, and all things tell us, they’re very close to being ready for a big leadership role but is it too soon? What’s great about Milwaukee’s roster this season compared to last year is they have a ton of veterans that can help guide Giannis and Jabari through the season.

Bucks’ first over/under came in at 39 which seemed about right. It’s not fair to assess whether Milwaukee will struggle again next season until we see what the team looks like without Middleton.

Charlie.