Pat Connaughton had a career year during the 2021-2022 NBA season and his value on the Milwaukee Bucks roster has skyrocketed. Whilst he has a player option, there’s no guarantee he will take it meaning the Bucks must do what they can to re-sign him. Let’s have a look at three reasons why the Bucks must re-sign him this offseason.
Reason No. 1 why the Milwaukee Bucks must retain Pat Connaughton – He is an important role player
Connaughton has been one of the most important role players coming off the bench for Milwaukee this season. After winning the NBA Championship with Milwaukee last year (playing an important part in the playoff run), Pat has continued not only to improve his play, but contribute to the team.
Connaughton was rewarded with a career-high in minutes (26 per game) this season and repaid the faith shown in him by the coaching team by averaging a career-high 9.9 points per game. In doing so, he shot a solid 39.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Along with his shooting, Connaughton averaged 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. These may not be classed as game-winning numbers, the importance of this type of output from the bench can’t be overlooked. Connaughton’s rebounding is a joy to watch when he’s on the court. For only being 6-foot-5, he can jump and he can outjump players he really shouldn’t. He can be relied on to get those rebounds on the defensive end that some players wouldn’t manage and in turn, saves the Bucks from giving up second-chance points.
His reliability on defence can’t be ignored. No, he’s not the Defensive Player of the Year but he makes sure he’s a pain to the opposition. He ensures that the opposition doesn’t get easy passes, easy baskets or an easy time in general.
The likelihood of the Bucks finding a player who can provide these numbers from the bench is slim. Not only that but finding a player who fits into the rotation as well as Connaughton does isn’t something I don’t think is available on the market.