Khris Middleton was left off of all three of the All-NBA teams this week despite having a fantastic season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Middleton has every right to be bothered by the snub, especially since it was the result of a technicality with the voting system.
As Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer explained, Middleton received more total voting points than Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook, who were both named to the All-NBA third team. However, Middleton’s votes were split between the guard and forward positions, so he didn’t wind up with enough at either spot.
I was shocked Khris Middleton didn't get named to third team, then noticed he did indeed have more total points (82) than Simmons (61) and Westbrook (56). But his votes were split between G and F, so he didn't get the edge. Ballots should be positionless—it's a positionless game! https://t.co/gImk33qx2C
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) September 16, 2020
Middleton averaged 20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season, which were all career highs.
Middleton is viewed as a tremendous leader among his teammates, who had high praise for him prior to the NBA restart in Orlando. He probably doesn’t get enough credit since he plays with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it makes no sense for a player to be left off the All-NBA team because votes were split between positions. The NBA needs to consider tweaking the system.
