Milwaukee Bucks: Grading Pat Connaughton’s Dunk Contest showing

Second dunk

Having already turned to one of Milwaukee’s MVPs on the first attempt, Connaughton called on his teammate, and an All-Star team captain, Giannis Antetokounmpo for his second.

As has become the norm at this point, Giannis was positioned courtside along with Thanasis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Antetokounmbros, appearing to enjoy the show more than anyone else in the building on the night.

While dunking over someone has become something of a cliché at the Dunk Contest in recent years, not enough credit was given to Connaughton for the difficulty both of his dunk attempts involved on that front.

Not only is Giannis taller than Bam Adebayo, whom Derrick Jones Jr. hurdled over, and Yelich is considerably taller than Chance the Rapper, a chosen target for Aaron Gordon, but Connaughton was also comfortably the shortest dunker on the night.

With Gordon’s dunk over Fall not getting the credit it deserved to finish the night, it seems like the difference in height between dunker and prop wasn’t always a factor in the judges’ minds, though.

As it turned out, Giannis wasn’t the key element of this dunk anyway. After a couple of misfires, Connaughton connected on the third attempt, clearing Giannis, and tapping the ball against the backboard before slamming it home.

The dunk was only improved by the fact that it seemed to take a replay for most to recognize just what Connaughton had done, as he and Giannis theatrically explained the dunk for the cameras on the court.

On a night filled with great dunks, this was one of my personal favorites. Not just because it came from Connaughton, but because it contained a genuine element of novelty and creativity that isn’t always present in the event any more. As much as we all love to marvel at the athleticism on display in the Dunk Contest, that isn’t news to anyone at this point. It’s fun to see something new, and to be surprised, and that’s what Connaughton did with this attempt.

His reward was a perfect 50 from the judges, and one of the most memorable images of the night.

BTBP grade: A

Overall, Connaughton never quite reached the A+ heights that Jones Jr. and Gordon would in the final, but it’s again worth pointing out that he was somewhat dubiously robbed of the opportunity to do so too.

Considering some of the less than stellar Bucks’ Dunk Contest performances over the years, Pat can certainly hold his head high. Connaughton performed really well, represented the Bucks and the city of Milwaukee with pride on the big stage, and undoubtedly further endeared himself to a fanbase that already views him as something of a cult hero.

#LetPatDunk2021, anyone?