Milwaukee Bucks: Pat Connaughton’s versatility could be key in contract year

In a contract year, Pat Connaughton will look to prove his worth through versatility while trying to help the Milwaukee Bucks make a deep playoff run.

Pat Connaughton has spent over a year with the Milwaukee Bucks and has been a crucial member of the team since joining in 2018.

Throughout Connaughton’s career, he has consistently been a productive role player coming off the bench, whether in Portland with the Trail Blazers or Milwaukee with the Bucks.

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Connaughton played three seasons with the Trail Blazers and appeared in 155 games, 82 of which were in his 2017-18 final season. With the Bucks last season, Connaughton made a splash, appearing in 61 games and averaging 20.7 minutes per game and 6.7 points per game.

Although the point totals don’t immediately jump off the stat sheet, Connaughton was seen as a player who Mike Budenholzer could insert into the lineup to use as a spark plug to get his team back on track. Connaughton could do this in a variety of ways, such as hitting a corner three, coming up with a big steal, or throwing down a monster dunk. No matter what, Connaughton consistently brought energy and pace to the court.

Looking at the current season, Connaughton is averaging 7.4 points across three fewer minutes through five games. This season is a contract year for Pat Connaughton, as he only signed a two-year, $3.4 million deal with the Bucks in August 2018. As the Bucks look ahead to the remainder of the season, it seems almost obvious for Budenholzer to use Connaughton as he did last year when the team needed a jolt of energy.

In terms of versatility, Connaughton has it. He can have the hot hand from behind the arc or can alternatively make a move to get into the lane for an easy slam dunk. Connaughton can be classified as a utility player for the Bucks, as he has talent in multiple aspects of the game.

Last season, including the playoffs, Connaughton shot 36.4 percent from the corners, making 17 total shots. While this may not sound like significant production, these shots came at crucial moments giving the Bucks the boost they needed to close out games. Another aspect of Connaughton’s game that can be overlooked at times is his passing ability. Last season, Connaughton had a total of 122 assists, and with the departure Malcolm Brogdon, the Bucks will look to Connaughton as a player who can drive to the basket and pass to an open shot on the perimeter.

Since this is a contract year for Connaughton, he knows that if he wants to stay with the Bucks, he needs to prove to his teammates, the coaching staff, and the front office that he has earned his minutes and is deserving of a new contract. Set to become an unrestricted free agent, if Connaughton can take his game to the next level, he should garner a new contract from Jon Horst and the Bucks.

This season, I see the Bucks once again looking to Connaughton for a spark, and I fully expect Connaughton to step up to the plate (pun intended: let us not forget his pitching days). I do hope to see the level of Connaughton’s play throughout this season match his hard work in the playoffs because Playoff-Pat was a key piece off the bench that aided the Bucks in their deep playoff run in the 2018-19 season.

That versatility will again be key, and if Connaughton can deliver it, he’ll stand every chance of being rewarded next summer.