Milwaukee Bucks
Breakout candidate: Pat Connaughton
After taking the league by storm last season, the Milwaukee Bucks are now considered one of the favorites to not only win the Eastern Conference but to also win the NBA Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo has developed into the NBA MVP talent that many expected him to blossom into and Khris Middleton is a great running mate.
However, if there’s one area that could hinder this team from making a deep run in the East, it might be the loss of Malcolm Brogdon. In his absence, the team is going to need others to step up. One player specifically that could be called upon is Pat Connaughton, who is coming off a season in which he averaged just seven points in 21 minutes per contest for the Bucks.
There’s no question that Connaughton is going to see more minutes this season. The big question, of course, is whether he’ll be able to produce with a bit of a greater role this season. The formula is there, though. He really just needs to come in, hit timely shots and play above-average on the defensive end. Don’t be surprised if we hear a bit more about Pat Connaughton this season with the Bucks.