Bucks Zone

Pat Connaughton on doing a little bit of everything for the Milwaukee Bucks

"I enjoy being able to kind of be a Swiss army knife."

Jonas Panerio

© Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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Whenever the Milwaukee Bucks are discussed, veteran forward Pat Connaughton is rarely mentioned. However, it doesn’t take long to realize his immense impact on this team. The former Notre Dame standout is playing in his sixth season for the Bucks. He doesn’t care for the spotlight but is eager to plug all his team's holes.

Do-it-all forward

While Bucks superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are the alphas on the team, Connaughton is content to work in their shadows, doing whatever it is the team needs to get their wins and momentum heading to the postseason. Whether hitting open three-pointers or taking an elbow to the face while drawing an offensive foul, Connaughton is always ready to put in the hard work for his team.

“I enjoy being able to kind of be a Swiss army knife,” Connaughton said.

The 6-foot-5 wingman explained that he picked up on different play styles from former teammates like Wes Matthews.

"I try to combine some different styles. Wesley Matthews was an undrafted guy playing lockdown defense who could make threes. But I like to play-make a little bit, and Doc has done a great job of allowing me to do that a little bit more. That's a little bit different than Wes.”

Flourishing under Doc Rivers

Connaughton had such an awful start to the season that fans and experts speculated he should be included in any transactions at the trade deadline. However, the Bucks’ front office relented, and their patience paid off, as Pat has had a key role in the team’s resurgence since the All-Star break.

“I'm not going to say it's my doing, but I've been a part of the winning since I've gotten here,” Connaughton quipped.

“And the playoffs, I think I've even played better than sometimes the regular season.”

As the team continues to build synergy with Doc Rivers, who took over the team at the midway point of the regular season, Connaugton added that he feels more comfortable and confident in his role.

"As I get more in tune with Doc, like, ‘What is your game plan?’ What are the things they want us to do? What are the things they're trying to do and how can I make sure that I know that inside and out? Not just for myself but for my teammates?”

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO