Ranking the Roster 2018: Pat C. Sent Packing

In the round following the ouster of both John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova, the roster rankings have moved into their next phase: everyone on the list is intriguing in some way, and has some measure of positive value to the team. With 38% of the vote, Brew Hoop readers have decided that Pat Connaughton is the least intriguing member of the Milwaukee Bucks remaining on the ballot.

Connaughton was something of an iron man for the Portland Trailblazers last season, playing all 82 games and accumulating nearly 1500 minutes. He’s a shooter (0.538 3PAr last season) with good athleticism and defensive skills, making him an excellent option as a potential 3&D wing.

Why then was Connaughton available a full month after free agency started, and willing to sign a minimum 2-year deal, with the second season non-guaranteed? It’s possible, if not likely, that he’s already hit his ceiling as an NBA player. At 25 years old, Connaughton is entering his athletic prime, meaning that if there IS anything left under the surface, the Bucks will have the first chance to reap the benefits. As it happens, though, there are too many cases where “what you see is what you get,” and while what you get from Connaughton is valuable...it doesn’t move the needle enough to get a higher rank in this series.

A number of commenters took issue with Connaughton’s “popularity” in the last round, claiming that he offers the same type of skillset as Tony Snell at a fraction of the cost. While I understand the rationale, Snell has a 2” advantage over Connaughton, and two 40+% shooting seasons to his name (Pat has 0). Whether Tony Snell’s contract is too rich or just right, I find it difficult to reconcile his actual impact on the Bucks with Connaughton’s theoretical impact.

But that’s a story for another day! For today, who will follow Pat into the void? Will it be the aforementioned Snell, and his eight-figure contract? Will it be one of the remaining big men? Or will we see a surprise exile? Vote now and find out soon!