Milwaukee Bucks: 3 stats that stand out over first 5 games of 2021-22

The Milwaukee Bucks have had an up and down start to the 2021-22 NBA season as they boast a 3-2 overall record at the time of this writing.

A significant reason for this rocky beginning has been the multitude of injuries that the reigning world champs have been forced to deal with. Still, the Bucks will have to navigate through those injuries for the time being with their title defense underway. Five games is a small sample size to judge a team, but here are three individual statistics that have stood out for the Bucks early.

Pat Connaughton is averaging 12.2 points per game for the Milwaukee Bucks

Pat Connaughton proved himself to be a hero for the Bucks throughout their playoff run as he consistently stepped up in the biggest moments. With the team hit with the injury bug early on this year, they have once again asked him to play a bigger role, and he has stepped up to the plate.

Starting in three of Milwaukee’s five games this season, Connaughton has averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. That scoring from the guard has certainly stood out, as he has never been a typical double-digit scorer. However, early on, most notably with his 20-point eruption against the Brooklyn Nets on opening night, Connaughton has helped put points on the board with players like Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez missing time. With those two and several others sidelined, he has seen his field-goal attempts (9.6) and 3-point attempts (6.6) skyrocket compared to previous seasons, and he is making good with the larger opportunity.

Part of this increase in production has been because Connaughton’s role with the Bucks has been more prominent than ever before. He is currently playing 31.4 minutes on average this season, the most among any Buck. That is not a typo. It is no secret that head coach Mike Budenholzer trusts Connaughton beyond measure, and rightfully so, and he has been given a heavy workload to start the year. These scoring numbers will likely not stick throughout the season once the Bucks start to get healthier, but it is welcoming to see the veteran show out early. It might be too early to say, but Connaughton could be trending toward a career year if he keeps his foot on the gas pedal.