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UPDATE: Pat seems okay.
Thanks for the thoughts & prayers. Feeling great and looking forward to being back with the squad soon... luckily I always have a basketball in my apartment - sorry to the people living below me ♂️ #FearTheDeer
— Pat Connaughton (@pconnaughton) July 20, 2020
What a neighbor.
We knew that when Eric Bledsoe was reported to have received a positive test for coronavirus, he would not be likely to be the last. Indeed, with some question about whether teammates Kyle Korver or Pat Connaughton were yet in Orlando or not, speculation regarding Planet Pat can at least now be put to rest.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton has tested positive for COVID-19 and thus is not yet with the team in Orlando. He told the @journalsentinel and ESPN: "I am healthy and I feel great and I am excited to join my teammates in Orlando once I meet all the NBA protocols."
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) July 20, 2020
Bucks guard Pat Connaughton, who was diagnosed with COVID-19, is not in Orlando with the team and released the following statement to ESPN and Milwaukee JS: pic.twitter.com/FCRfubq6JM
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 20, 2020
Connaughton, 27, has found a place in Milwaukee’s rotation as a spark of energy off the bench; his vigor moving around screens, rear-view contesting jump shots, and flying through the air to block a shot (or whiff on a pump fake) is just as valuable as his spectacular dunks, impressive rebounding numbers, and off-and-on three-point shooting.
According to his statement, some may assume that Connaughton (like Bledsoe) is asymptomatic, and that he might be able to navigate his contact with the virus unscathed and rejoin the team in Orlando. We put together an overview of what that looks like (as of this weekend) right now. His absence (as a reserve) is less worrisome than Bledsoe’s absence, but there is optimism on the chances of Eric joining the team soon.
Over the weekend, we were able to chat with Mike Budenholzer and multiple Bucks players about Eric Bledsoe being unable to join the team yet.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) July 20, 2020
More on what they’ve done to stay connnected and how they’re progressing without him at @TheAthleticWISC: https://t.co/ZrWH2TUpts
No matter what, we want to keep Pat Connaughton the person at the forefront of our thoughts, and we hope that he’s able to remain healthy and in good spirits while isolating himself and following the NBA’s protocols. The bubble is only open for those who are able to do their part to limit exposure (no matter what Dwight Howard thinks), so only time will tell when Connaughton can rejoin the team.