Milwaukee Bucks: Pat Connaughton has Provided Big Boost during Finals

Rightfully so, Game 5 of the NBA Finals is likely going to be remembered for the performances from the Milwaukee Bucks ‘Big 3’, in which we saw Giannis Antetokounmpo score 32 while tallying nine rebounds and six assists, Jrue Holiday dropping 27 along with 13 assists, and Khris Middleton scoring 29 of his own points with seven boards and five assists. Many will also remember the Holiday steal and alley-oop to Giannis that all but secured the victory.

But even when you have a ‘Big 3’ like the Bucks do, in order to win an NBA Championship, it takes everyone to do so. And one role player in particular who has been fantastic during these Finals, as well for much of this postseason run, is Pat Connaughton.

During this past offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks signed Connaughton to a three-year deal worth $16 million, a move that left many scratching their heads. We know how much coach Mike Budenholzer values having Pat on the team, but at the time, it did seem like the Bucks overpaid.

However, up to this point, and yes, I’m aware it’s still only Year 1 of his contract, Connaughton has certainly earned that new deal. During the regular season, he would shoot a career-high 37.1 percent from 3 while taking a career-high 3.9 attempts per game. He would also average a career-high in rebounds per game, and he nearly set new marks in assists and points per game as well.

In the playoffs, we’ve really seen the value that Connaughton has added to this team–especially during the absence of Donte DiVincenzo. Connaughton is never going to stand out for his flash, but he’s a relentless defender, a very good rebounding guard, giving this Bucks team added possessions that they’ve capitalized on, and he’s knocking down 3-pointers at a higher clip than what he did during the regular season.

Connaughton is very much someone whose impact isn’t always going to be felt in the box score, but this postseason the Milwaukee Bucks are definitely seeing it there.

Over this playoff run, Connaughton is averaging 23.8 minutes per game off the bench, along with shooting nearly 41 percent from deep on 4.1 attempts per game with 4.2 rebounds and 7.2 points per game. In the Finals, specifically, Connaughton has been even better, playing over 31 minutes per game while shooting 50 percent from 3 with 5.4 rebounds and 11.0 points.

The Milwaukee Bucks have outscored the Phoenix Suns in four of the five games when Connaughton has been on the court, including by 31 combined points in their last two victories. He also has the fourth-best defensive rating among qualified players in these NBA Finals, according to NBA.com, which includes some time spent with Devin Booker.

As Budenholzer told reporters prior to Game 4, “he’s (Pat) helping us in lots of different ways.” Budenholzer would then go on to add what we all know, which is that Connaughton is “important” to this Bucks team.

After how these last few seasons have ended along with several games in these playoffs, it can be hard to imagine that our Milwaukee Bucks are just one win away from the NBA title. As I mentioned above, it took contributions from everyone to get to this point, and of course, their ‘Big 3’ has been the catalyst behind their success. However, we can’t overlook just how good and important to this team Pat Connaughton has been during this playoff run.