While playing time opportunities won’t be a certainty in his new home, there’s a foundation for Pat Connaughton to build off of that could lead to him carving out a consistent role with the Milwaukee Bucks.
After he landed with the Milwaukee Bucks in late July this offseason, the addition of Pat Connaughton stands in a class of its own when compared to the other moves the team has made this summer.
The 25-year-old wing doesn’t face the challenge of having to adjust to the league like rookie Donte DiVincenzo is facing nor does he hold the experience or carry a proven resume in the vein of veterans such as Brook Lopez or Ersan Ilyasova.
Instead, Connaughton is still looking to make his mark on the NBA since entering the league more than three years ago. Following his most featured campaign with the Portland Trail Blazers last year, there’s some cautious optimism that Connaughton may only be scratching the surface in hopes to establish a lasting career as a complimentary role player.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
That’s the low risk, high reward-like bet the Bucks are certainly making after inking the Massachusetts native to a two-year, partially guaranteed deal nearly a month ago.
Of course, Connaughton’s arrival coincides with the start of the Mike Budenholzer era, whose addition in mid-May addressed the team’s biggest weakness over the last couple of years.
Under Coach Bud, Connaughton will look to make a great first impression in an effort to place himself within the team’s rotation once this year’s training camp begins sometime next month.
That’ll be no easy task for the Norte Dame alum, considering the team’s crop of wings consisting of Sterling Brown, Tony Snell and possibly others who all will be vying for minutes alongside Connaughton. From that standpoint, there are requisite areas that Connaughton will have to perform well in order to make an imprint on his new squad.
That obviously starts and arguably ends with reinforcing his three-point shooting prowess. A career 36.4 percent three-point shooter, Connaughton’s faces the big hurdle of having to hone his consistency from that level of floor as he periodically struggled with during his last year with the Blazers.
As much as his overall ability in this regard still has to improve, the dynamic ways Connaughton can serve as an aspiring three-point specialist gives Coach Bud a different element than his backcourt mates may have to offer at this stage, as unrefined as it may be.
The off-ball outlet or threat Connaughton can provide, even in a complementary capacity, may help him expand his scoring ways inside the arc as well, whether that’s through freeing himself for cuts to the basket or executing handoff situations with any of the Bucks’ big men.
Beyond that, though, Connaughton’s services on the defensive end will obviously loom large in being able to act as a net positive whenever he sees the floor, just as he did last year in Portland (Connaughton posted a +2.9 net rating with the Blazers, per NBA.com/stats).
We’ve previously gone over how Connaughton’s defensive qualities are a little unsung when taking the big picture view over his addition. It’s by no means anything more than average or solid at best, but Connaughton’s athleticism and occasional shot blocking ability helps him hold his own when guarding opposing players out on the perimeter.
The overarching theme when examining how Connaughton will fit in with the Bucks this season is that he’s only begun to tap into the skill set he possesses, in large part due to the significant jump in minutes he garnered last season.
It shouldn’t go without saying that there’s a possibility that the projected role Connaughton will be tasked with serving in Milwaukee will still be hampered with these same questions we’re exploring as of this writing.
All there is left to see now is how Connaughton responds to the challenges that are sure to come as he acclimates to his new home in the league. How he answers them will be crucial to determining his place within the Bucks and the league as a whole.