Milwaukee Bucks: Pat Connaughton stands as an unsung playoff hero
Throughout this Milwaukee Bucks playoff run, their stars have gotten plenty shine for leading them this far and rightly so.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is redefining his greatness in each and every game and Khris Middleton continues rising to the occasion when the Bucks need it most. Such attention continues to seep into the Bucks’ supporting cast as they have supplemented the performances of the Bucks’ leading stars.
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Pat Connaughton may seem like an unlikely example, yet he’s been an unsung contributor as the Bucks have gone to the Conference Finals and are two wins from the NBA Finals heading into Game 4 Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Connaughton’s performance in the Bucks’ Game 3 win flew under the radar as he finished with five points on 2-for-3 shooting (1-for-2 from three), eight boards, an assist and a block in over 32 minutes off the bench.
For as solid of stat line as that is for a low-usage player such as Connaughton, it does undersell just how massive Connaughton proved to be as the Bucks were writing their comeback throughout the second half.
The four offensive rebounds that Connaughton pulled down, two of which came during the second half, led to massive shots hit by the likes of Middleton and Bobby Portis. Just look at the unlikely area where Connaughton cleans up the air ball from Middleton that he then made good on following the swing pass from Jrue Holiday.
Pat Connaughton has played his role to perfection during the Milwaukee Bucks’ playoff run
By being on the floor for the Bucks’ comeback, Connaughton finished with a plus-minus of 25 for Game 3 and he now has the highest net rating of any Bucks player so far this series, per NBA.com/stats.
This has been an extension of what Connaughton has done all throughout the postseason and especially since the Bucks lost starting 2-guard Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the season due to a foot injury.
The Bucks have been a better rebounding team with Connaughton on the floor throughout these playoffs, especially on the offensive end. The Bucks are pulling down 34.4 percent of their misses over the 288 playoff minutes Connaughton has compiled to this point and Milwaukee has a 27.4 offensive rebounding percentage in the 394 minutes Connaughton has been on the floor.
Along with his presence on the glass, Connaughton has been able to hit timely shots when the opportunities have presented themselves. Furthermore, Connaughton has been doing that more on the road as he’s averaging 5.4 points per game on 8-for-21 shooting from downtown (38.8 percent) versus averaging 5.7 points per game on 10-for-18 shooting from three (35.7 percent) is a miniscule difference. But it’s come up big all the same, especially after the Bucks outlasted the Brooklyn Nets in the Conference Semifinals.
Doing all of that while providing stable and solid defense and the occasional weak-side rim protection, Connaughton has been fulfilling what has been asked of him by Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. And more importantly, the Bucks haven’t needed him to veer outside of his comfort zone nor has Connaughton looked to either.
That certainly comes with built-in continuity the Bucks have had in regards to their core and the three years of familiarity that Connaughton has since first arriving in Milwaukee nearly three years ago. And with the Bucks playing smaller and more versatile lineup capabilities, it all has suited Connaughton and the areas he’s best utilized.
Khris Middleton continues to rise to the moment. dark. Next
There is no frills to what Connaughton often does, yet there’s no mistaking that he continues to make a sizeable impact when the Bucks have needed it most over the course of this postseason. The shine may continue going to the Bucks’ stars as they hope to book their trip to the NBA Finals and Connaughton is only doing what he can to help things click into place.