The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up their 2024 preseason slate against the Dallas Mavericks Thursday, finishing with a 1-3 record across four games.
While the preseason is more of a time for players to get their feet wet before the real season begins, meaning performances are not the end all be all in terms of how one will perform during the regular season, it is typically crucial for a coach when deciding his rotations. Well, after these four games, Doc Rivers will likely have a better idea of what lineups he wants to roll out this coming season.
With that said, let's highlight three risers and four fallers in terms of stock from the Bucks' preseason.
Riser - Pat Connaughton
Many questioned whether Pat Connaughton had anything left to give at this stage of his NBA career. After all, he has looked like a shell of himself over the past two seasons, which has catapulted him to the top of the list of Milwaukee Bucks likeliest to be traded. However, after a pretty solid showing in the preseason, Pat Connaughton proved he might still have some fuel left in the tank.
Averaging 16.3 minutes across all four contests, Connaughton looked like the Connaughton of old with his do-it-all impact, tallying 6.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from deep. Sure, it's not the biggest sample size, but the guard looked incredibly comfortable and in great shape, seizing the moment.
If Pat Connaughton can carry this type of impact over into the regular season, his place in the rotation will be stamped. Just like they did when they won the title back in 2021, the Bucks need this shooting, facilitating and rebounding off the bench from Connaughton, and he showed in these games that he still has what it takes to provide it. His stock has undeniably gone up.