Pat Connaughton finding his niche with the Milwaukee Bucks
Pat Connaughton has settled into his role in the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation, even if it took longer than he hoped it would.
The shooting guard had his best scoring performance of the season with 13 points in the Bucks' 144-109 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Fiserv Forum on Sunday.
He signed a two-year deal with Milwaukee in the summer after playing three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. He will get his first chance to visit Portland on Tuesday when the Bucks kick off their four-game, West Coast road trip at Moda Center for a 9 p.m. game against the Trail Blazers.
"Coming here, I was excited about the way coach (Mike Budenholzer) does things, the way this organization does things, the way this team does things," Connaughton said. "Obviously there's always a learning curve with anybody. The coaches were new for everybody.
"There were some differences in the system that I came from and this one. So, to get the hang of it and try to find a spot where I thought I fit in and could help this team win, it took longer than I would have liked, but hopefully it can be something that can last here in the next 90 games, because hopefully we can go a little bit deep (in the playoffs)."
Over the Bucks' first four games, Connaughton played only 3 minutes and 44 seconds against the Indiana Pacers. It was an adjustment for a player who appeared in all 82 regular-season games for the Trail Blazers last season.
"For me, I try to stay even keel," Connaughton said. "One of the things that I was taught in Portland is 'Never too high, never too low.' This season is very long, it's 82 games, you're going to have nights when you shoot well. You're going to have nights when you don't.
"But what can you produce each and every night? And emotionally, physically how can you stay even keel and bring the same type of kind of consistent energy and effort every single night?"
Connaughton played 17:29 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 26 and has been a regular ever since as Budenholzer has extended his rotation to 10 players.
Against the Kings on Sunday, Connaughton put together a mini-highlight reel by hitting a three-pointer ahead of the third-quarter buzzer, throwing down a two-handed dunk in the fourth and also hitting the three that set the team record for three-pointers in a game.
"I think (Pat) gives us an energy," Budenholzer said. "The way he cuts and plays off the ball. The shooting stands out, but (also) the way he can get to the basket and finish. His athleticism and the way he's helping us out on the boards."
Connaughton is hoping to keep his run of solid production up against the Blazers on Tuesday. During his three seasons in Portland, Connaughton appeared in 155 games, averaging 3.7 points in 12.6 minutes per contest, though he served a vital role last season off the bench playing in all 86 of the team's games between the regular season and playoffs.
"For me, I have a lot of relationships back there," he said. "With teammates, the coaching staff, friends from the city. For me, it's just a matter of going in and trying to take a business-like approach to it.
"We've got a really special thing going here and we just have to take it one game at a time. It will be great to see those guys. It will be great to see them before the game, it will be great to see them after the game.
"But during the game, we've got a job to do and I'd like nothing better than walking out of the Moda Center with a 'W.' "
Down and up
Bucks guard Sterling Brown had quite the busy weekend.
On Saturday, he was sent down to the G League and took a ride to Oshkosh to join the Wisconsin Herd for their game at Menominee Arena against the Canton Charge. In that contest, he scored a team-high 22 points with five rebounds and four assists to lead the Herd to a 101-89 victory.
Even with an afternoon tip, Brown was able to re-join the Bucks in time for Sunday's contest against the Kings. With the win in hand early in the fourth quarter, Budenholzer emptied his bench, allowing multiple players, including Brown, to get an extended run. Brown made the most of that, scoring eight points in less than eight minutes of action.
Budenholzer foresees using the Herd often, especially considering the G League team's proximity to Milwaukee. When he coached in Atlanta, Budenholzer didn't have the luxury of easy access to the team's G League affiliate, which is currently based in Erie, Pennsylvania.
“We want to be aggressive using the G League and Oshkosh," Budenholzer said. "It can be a big piece of the player-development part. Sterling’s been working hard; he’s doing great. … If you have the right approach it can be really healthy for you to go play those games. I would anticipate us doing that a lot with a lot of different guys as the season goes.”