3 things for the Milwaukee Bucks to be thankful for on Thanksgiving 2021
It is Thanksgiving and there is plenty to be thankful for right now as a Milwaukee Bucks fan. The Bucks are the reigning NBA champions and it is quite possibly the best time ever to be a fan of the team. While you give thanks for your family, friends, and other things in your life, here are three things about the Milwaukee Bucks that you should be thankful for.
The Milwaukee Bucks should be thankful for the production from Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton
Where would the Bucks be without Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton? The two have each played a massive role off the bench for the Bucks the past year and a half, and they were vital in helping the team win the first championship in 50 years last season.
Bobby Portis is averaging 12 points and 7.3 rebounds on 59 percent true shooting since joining the Bucks last offseason. He is shooting an insane 44.5 percent from three on over 270 attempts as a Milwaukee Buck. And everyone knows what he did in the playoffs, scoring 10+ points in nine games and becoming a fan favorite with his energy and spark off the bench. Over the summer, Bobby agreed to take a team-friendly deal to stay with the Bucks for just $4.5 million per year when he could’ve gotten much more elsewhere. Bobby Portis is awesome. Appreciate him.
As for Pat Connaughton, he was re-signed to a three-year, $16 million contract before last season, and at the time many thought it was an overpay. He had shot just 33 percent from three in his first two seasons with the Bucks and did not seem like he was going to ever get much better. Well, since then, Connaughton is averaging 7.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and shooting over 38 percent from three on over four attempts per game, and he has improved as a defender and overall shot creator. He also has been extremely durable and reliable, playing in 111 of the 114 games the Bucks have played since the start of last season and providing great shooting, defending, and rebounding off the bench.
It also cannot be understated how clutch Connaughton has been since signing the extension, shooting 12-for-22 on threes in clutch situations (ahead or behind by five points or less in the final five minutes of a game) since the start of last season, according to NBA.com/stats. Planet Pat’s contract has turned out to be a massive steal for the Milwaukee Bucks, and he is a huge contributor off the bench. His turnaround from the player that everyone wanted out of town to a hero in Milwaukee after the title run is a fascinating story.