Remembering Bart Starr

Before there was Aaron Rodgers, before there was Brett Favre, there was the great Bart Starr for the Green Bay Packers. For those who do not know, Starr was the legendary quarterback who helped lead the Pack to the very first two Super Bowls and led them to wins in both games. In what is considered by many as a rough and tumble, ground the ball down your throat era, Starr was still a hell of a quarterback, arguably a top quarterback in NFL history. Let’s take a closer look.

To help showcase his talent, one can check his stats if they need proof. Per Pro Football Focus, Starr threw for 24,718 yards throughout his illustrious career to couple with 152 career touchdowns. In today’s era, that may not seem like much, but in the era he played in, it was considered a remarkable accomplishment. He also finished his career with a quarterback rating of 80.5, a career rating which is actually higher than the likes of other great quarterback’s such as John Elway and Johnny Unitas, both of which are also top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history. Fran Tarkenton, a legendary quarterback who used to play for Green Bay’s arch rival the Minnesota Vikings, spoke about the late Bart Starr. Here is the full quote per purplereignnews.  

 “Today is a sad day. Bart Starr was truly one of the greatest, both as a quarterback and as a man. He deserves so much of the credit for five @packers championships. Bart, you were a special player and man, and you will be greatly missed by all of us.” @nfl @ProFootballHOF pic.twitter.com/AqbJCRWHSj

— Francis Tarkenton (@Fran_Tarkenton) May 26, 2019

As one can see, there is a lot of respect being shown here between two former rivals. We are not just talking about any rivalry either. The Packers and Vikings rivalry is considered at least a top five NFL rivalry. This goes to show how deeply respected of a player and opponent Bart Starr was in the league. Starr may have passed away at 89, but his legacy still lives on as not just a Packers legend, but as a NFL legend as well.

Why Khris Middleton is a Perfect Fit for the Denver Nuggets

            Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks is often the overlooked shining spot of the Bucks’ roster. Despite being the right hand man of the probable MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton himself is also an All Star and could be the missing link to the already solid Denver Nuggets’ roster. Denver has their foundation in place led by Nikola Jokic with a terrific supporting cast of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and eventually Michael Porter Jr., but they were still knocked out in the second round of the post season. While Michael Porter Jr. does have an extremely high ceiling, it still may not be a bad idea for him to come off the bench for at least one season. A solid wing who can consistently hit the three point shot is exactly what the Denver Nuggets need, especially one who is an All Star.

Will Barton is simply too inconsistent and as alluded to already, Porter will be young and developing. Khris Middleton not only fits Denver’s scheme and culture perfectly, he also could form the Nuggets into a fringe super team considering Middleton is now an All Star. Pair him with another All Star in Nikola Jokic and an up and coming back court of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris and you have a legitimate NBA title contender for next season. Just think about this for a second. A starting rotation consisting of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Khris Middleton, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic. Now say that again and out loud. Can’t help but think that is an intriguing lineup huh?

Per Basketball Reference.com, Middleton is a career 38.8% three point shooter which would make him a deadly threat paired up with Jokic, who is already widely considered the best passing big man in the league. This season, Khris averaged 18.3 points per game to go along with six rebounds per game. He even averaged four assists per game and even had an offensive rating of 109. Middleton also averaged a win shares total of 6.1 in the regular season of this year. In the playoffs, Middleton is a career average 18 points per game scorer along with shooting a cool 44.4% from downtown in the post season. I think these totals speak for themselves when it comes to how good a fit Middleton would be for the Denver Nuggets.

 Now for the downsides. Middleton may not want to leave a team which is already contending for a title for another Western Conference team who is constructed in a similar fashion where he would probably have the same role. Not to mention, he may want a better contract or even a max contract, something which would require the Nuggets’ front office to work around. This would most likely mean working out some type of sign and trade consisting of Will Barton and Mason Plumlee which could prove far too costly for the depth of this team. Denver will most likely try to sign Millsap to a cheaper deal this summer anyway, but it still might not be enough to lure Khris Middleton to the Mile High city. However, Middleton is still worth at least taking a metaphorical swing at in free agency.

The Denver Nuggets have a busy off season ahead. Thankfully, they can check off one thing on their to do list. President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, has committed to staying in the Mile High despite getting a better offer in terms of money from the Washington Wizards. This is imperative considering he is largely responsible for Denver’s current framework. As a result, he could be the difference in convincing Middleton to take a leap of faith in the Mile High and leave a high powered Bucks team, or him deciding on a different path in this summer’s free agency.