Former three-time All-Star small forward Khris Middleton wasn't even close to his best in his final two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. Two offseason surgeries this summer may help – but he's not playing right now. And his head coach doesn't really have a handle on when he'll be back, even though he does conduct shooting drills during team practice.

“He got a lot done today,” head coach Doc Rivers said Thursday, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “A whole lot. I stayed on the floor with our boys. So he comes close.”

How close, Doc? When will he actually be back?

“I don’t have a schedule,” Rivers added. “But he’s getting closer.”

The 1-4 Bucks, who have lost four straight, could certainly use him. Veteran Ministerial contractee Taurean Prince, nominally a 3-and-D winger whose defense isn't quite where it should be, started in Middleton's place at the three-man spot. Prince is averaging 7.6 points on a robust 50 percent shooting from the field, including 47.1 percent on his 3.4 triple attempts per night. He also grabbed 5.2 rebounds, dished out 2.0 dimes and had 1.4 steals. But he doesn't stop anyone, and in a Bucks starting five with defensive seven Damian Lillard and Gary Trent Jr. in the backcourt, that's a big problem. Prince lacks the speed of the top Middleton, although it is an open question whether or not Middleton, now 33 and coming off major surgeries, will ever get back to that level.

Middleton has missed all of the Bucks' first five games this season, as well as the team's entire preseason. According to the league's latest injury report, he will be out for the sixth straight game on Saturday as the Bucks host the undefeated (6-0) Cleveland Cavaliers. Milwaukee is the more rested team as Cleveland will play the second night of a back-to-back series of contests.

G League player Stanley Umude is with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee's NBAGL affiliate in Oshkosh, as are young regulars AJ Johnson and Chris Livingston. Antetokounmpo, who has been dealing with right patella tendonitis for several days, is considered likely to go through it again.

On the Cavaliers side, three standard players have already been excluded. Wings Max Strus (right ankle sprain) and Caris LeVert (sore right knee) are both on the list, as is Jaylon Tyson (left hip sprain). Two-way player Emoni Bates is a member of Cleveland's G League squad, the Cleveland Charge. Second-year point guard Craig Porter Jr. is believed to have been playing through his sprained right thumb.

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