3 Milwaukee Bucks breakout players of 2019

2. Pat Connaughton

The player nicknamed “Vanilla Thunder” was a second-round pick of the Brooklyn Nets in 2015 and immediately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, playing three seasons in the Northwest. In his third season he finally cracked the rotation and played in all 82 games, but only started five games (six total over three seasons) and was a clear negative for Portland while on the court.

Pat Connaughton joined the Bucks in free agency in the summer of 2018 and immediately found a home to thrive. Despite not changing his usage he saw a noticeable uptick in efficiency, including shooting more 3-pointers, while cutting down on his fouls and turnovers. He went from a streaky bench player to a reliable and productive rotation piece on a championship contender.

Far from simply a lucky player in the regular season, Connaughton upped his game in the 2018-19 playoffs. Despite being just 6’5″ he started crashing the glass with impunity, pulling in 10.3 rebounds per 36 minutes.

His rebound percentage of 14.4 percent in the 2019 postseason was the third-highest of any player 6’5″ or shorter over the past five seasons, behind only the indomitable Russell Westbrook in the 2017-18 playoffs.

Connaughton is a role player, coming off the bench and filling a relatively modest role. Even so he can leverage that role into an outsized impact. In a recent showdown with the LA Clippers Connaughton dropped 13 points and four rebounds on 5-for-5 shooting and a whopping plus-35 in 21 minutes.

While not a star, Connaughton has found a home where he can thrive in his role, and thrive he has.