Milwaukee doesn’t need to overthink this. If the Bucks want a cheaper, younger, hungrier version of what Pat Connaughton once was, think a high-IQ, do-it-all wing who plays above his size and impacts winning from the margins, then Sion James is their guy.
Let's be honest about it: Pat Connaughton may have already played his last game as a Milwaukee Buck. Meanwhile, James, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound guard out of Duke, has been a standout at the NBA Draft Combine, flashing the exact kind of versatility and defensive grit that once made Connaughton a playoff mainstay.
But James isn’t just a clone; he might actually offer more from day one.
Sion James is a Pat Connaughton replacement hiding in plain sight
He’s built like a linebacker, moves like a wing, and competes like a vet.
At the Combine scrimmages, James posted back-to-back games with four steals as he put up averages of 8.5 points, four rebounds, 1.5 assists, and two blocks. From the jump, it was his defense that stole the show: he blew up passing lanes, bodied up ball-handlers, and showed the kind of physical, switchable defense that Milwaukee desperately needs on the perimeter.
James isn’t just a grinder. He’s a legit shooter now, too — after starting college as a poor spacer, he shot 42 percent from three this season at Duke and posted a 70 percent effective field goal percentage on catch-and-shoot looks.
He’s a reliable spot-up option and understands floor balance, spacing to the corners or dunker spot, and making quick reads. That’s plug-and-play utility for a team that needs to round out its rotation without breaking the bank, much like what Planet Pat gave you in his prime with the Milwaukee Bucks.
He averaged 8.6 points, 4.2 boards, and 2.9 assists per game while playing primary point-of-attack defense for a Final Four team. And he didn’t do it as a lottery pick — he earned his spot after transferring from Tulane, where he carved out his game across four seasons of reps and responsibility. There’s experience here. There’s edge. There’s humility and development. That’s Milwaukee Bucks basketball.
There are weaknesses, sure. He fouls too much (over three per 40 according to scouts) and generally struggles to create his own shot off the bounce (just 25 percent on self-created looks). But these are the same weaknesses Connaughton had, and Milwaukee doesn’t need him to be a creator. They need him to lock down point guards, rotate on time, hit open threes, and fly in for rebounds. Sion James does all of that already. His floor is high — his ceiling, if he finds a handle, could surprise people.
Lu Dort is the comp scouts keep tossing around. And it fits. James, like Dort, wins on energy, defense, and timely shooting. He might never be a star, but on a team with Giannis and Damian Lillard? That’s not what Milwaukee needs. They need role players with bite.
Pat Connaughton gave the Milwaukee Bucks nearly half a decade of that. But his best days are behind him, even if he did have that sudden scoring outburst to end the regular season. Sion James, on the other hand, is just getting started — and he might be sitting there in the second round, waiting to bring that edge back to Milwaukee.