Khris Middleton will not be joining Giannis Antetokounmpo in Atlanta for the All-Star Game. Middleton did not make the game for the second straight year. He is one of the bigger snubs of the Eastern Conference and it almost felt like an expectation as Middleton struggled down the stretch. Milwaukee Bucks are not the dominant team they’ve been in the regular season like they have been. If the Bucks were playing like the Utah Jazz, they would likely have three All-Stars. Middleton and Jrue Holiday would have been considered as well. But since Milwaukee is 19-13, it’s not a shock they only have one All-Star.

I am a big Middleton fan and have always been in his corner. There are some in the Bucks world that was not fans of him throughout the years, but that is not me. That said, the guys selected over Middleton all probably had a better case to be an All-Star than him. Many people will point out that Boston Celtics are hot trash right now, and why do they deserve two All-Stars? It’s a good question, but both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are having great years. James Harden is leading the NBA in assists and playing an awesome point guard right now. Zach LaVine is out of mind right now and took his game to another level. It’s hard to say Middleton is having a better year than any of those guys.

There is also a reality about Milwaukee. Even though the Bucks are one of the best organizations in the last few years, they’re still a flyover team. Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn will get preference. Then if you add in a successful Chicago and New York player to the mix, it is hard to find a spot for a small market team. The small market honoree was Nikola Vuvecic from Orlando.

With so many NBA players that have spoken out against this game, it would not be surprising if Middleton ends up here as an alternate. This is not like the Pro Bowl where multiple players will opt-out, but it will not be surprised when a few decide not to play over this weekend. I guess that Middleton will be one of the alternates along with Atlanta’s Trae Young, Utah’s Mike Conley, and Phoenix’s Devin Booker.

Hopefully, this will lead Midds to have a big second year and showing people he deserves a little more love.