翻译：对于雄鹿队来说，米德尔顿是首发还是替补并不重要

When the three-time All-Star returned to the court in late January, Middleton began coming off the bench, doing so regularly for the first time since his second season with the Bucks in 2014-15.

Injuries to his knee and wrist limited Middleton, now in his 10th season in Milwaukee, to seven games since the first round of the playoffs last April, so when he returned on Jan. 23, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the team wanted to use him as a reserve to ease him into action.

当这位三届全明星球员在 1 月下旬重返赛场时，米德尔顿开始替补出场，这是他自 2014-15 赛季在雄鹿队的第二个赛季以来首次替补出场。

自去年 4 月季后赛第一轮以来，他的膝盖和手腕受伤限制了米德尔顿在密尔沃基的第 10 个赛季，只打了 7 场比赛，因此当他于 1 月 23 日回归时，雄鹿队主教练迈克布登霍尔泽表示球队希望使用他的时候做一些时间限制。

More than one month later, Middleton is still running with the reserves, and the conversation has shifted from questions about when Middleton might play again -- he missed the first 20 games of the season -- to what his role with the Bucks looks like from here.

"I thought he'd be back in the [starting] lineup by now," Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said before a game in Milwaukee last week.

一个多月后，米德尔顿仍在替补席上，话题已经从米德尔顿什么时候可以再次上场——他错过了本赛季的前 20 场比赛——转移到了他在雄鹿队的位置这里。

“我认为他现在会回到[首发]阵容中，”菲尼克斯太阳队教练蒙蒂威廉姆斯上周在密尔沃基的一场比赛前说。

In 14 games coming off the bench since returning from injury, Middleton is averaging 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists while playing 20.5 minutes. There are games when he looks like himself, (22-5-3 against the Lakers on Feb. 9) and games in which he's not all the way there yet (6 points on 2-of-8 shooting against the Sixers on Saturday).

But whether a starter or a reserve, when Middleton plays, the Bucks elevate to a new level.

在伤愈复出后替补出场的 14 场比赛中，米德尔顿场均上场 20.5 分钟，得到 14.3 分、4.9 个篮板和 3.9 次助攻。有些比赛他看起来像他自己（2 月 9 日对阵湖人队时 22-5-3）和他还没有完全达到要求的比赛（周六对阵 76 人队时 8 投 2 中只得到 6 分） .

但无论是首发还是替补，当米德尔顿上场时，雄鹿队都提升到了一个新的水平。

The Bucks are 17-4 when Middleton plays in a game this season. Milwaukee's 16-game winning streak, which was snapped Saturday by the 76ers, began the day Middleton returned from injury.

"He's not just a 20-point scorer, he's a champion, All-Star, gold medalist coming off the bench," Williams said. "Not many people can say that."

当米德尔顿本赛季参加一场比赛时，雄鹿队的战绩是 17-4。密尔沃基队的 16 连胜于周六被 76 人队打破，从米德尔顿伤愈复出的那一天开始。

“他不仅是一名可以场均20 分得分手，他还是替补出场的冠军、全明星、金牌得分手，”威廉姆斯说。“能这么称呼的人不多。”

Middleton's minutes have increased from 15 in his first game back to 27 minutes and on the floor with the closing lineup in his most recent game. However, Budenholzer said the Bucks plan to keep him from playing back-to-back games. The last time Middleton played more than 25 minutes in three consecutive games, during a stretch from Dec. 5 to Dec. 9, he was shut down a week later with right knee soreness and missed the next 18 games.

米德尔顿的上场时间从他第一场比赛的 15 分钟增加到 27 分钟，并且在他最近一场比赛的收官阵容中上场。然而，布登霍尔泽表示，雄鹿队计划让他不参加背靠背比赛。米德尔顿上一次连续三场比赛上场时间超过 25 分钟，是在 12 月 5 日到 12 月 9 日期间，一周后他因右膝酸痛被停赛，并缺席了接下来的 18 场比赛。

So, neither the Bucks nor Middleton feel the need to add him to the starting lineup right now. The team just completed the longest winning streak this season in the NBA. But come playoff time, Milwaukee could insert Middleton back into the starting lineup or keep him coming off the bench as a sixth man.

"Right now, we're just being very diligent," Budenholzer said. "Being very conscious of how he responds each day and how he's improving. ... Khris is in a good place, him coming off the bench. So, we'll just see, together with medical, how we feel about his overall minutes per game and where that is. If and when we need to adjust, we'll address it then."

所以，雄鹿队和米德尔顿都觉得现在没有必要把他加入首发阵容。球队刚刚完成了本赛季NBA最长的连胜纪录。但到了季后赛，密尔沃基可以让米德尔顿重新回到首发阵容，或者让他作为第六人替补出场。

“现在，我们只是非常勤奋，”布登霍尔泽说。“非常清楚他每天的反应以及他是如何进步的。......米德尔顿现在感觉很好，他替补出场。所以，我们将与球队的医疗团队一起看看我们对他的整体上场时间的看法以及每场比赛它在首发还是替补。如果我们需要调整，我们会在那时解决。”