The 2020-21 NBA season is underway after the league had its shortest offseason ever. Sadly, only one former Notre Dame players is on an NBA roster. Yes, the royalty the Irish have in basketball pales greatly in comparison to football. That means we must appreciate whoever is playing in the league while we can.
Pat Connaughton enters his sixth NBA season and third with the Eastern Conference-contending Milwaukee Bucks. He’ll be with the Bucks for a little longer after signing a three-year, $16 million contract with them Nov. 23. Last year, he averaged 5.4 points a game, tied his career high in rebounds (4.2) and competed in the Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend. His preseason was nothing to write home about, shooting 2 of 10 from the field in three games, but Milwaukee obviously has a lot of confidence that he’ll pick it up once the games count.
Connaughton will find himself in the rotation behind newcomer Jrue Holiday, whom the Bucks acquired in a trade Nov. 27. Holiday is coming off a nice run in New Orleans, and he could make the difference in whether the Bucks finally get back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974. That being the case, Connaughton might be overlooked at times. Still, he’ll be a valuable player off the bench for a team with high expectations, and he’ll surely take that situation anytime.