Nickel: Pat Connaughton's bench role still vital though team, coaching has changed

At first blush, Pat Connaughton’s face looks fine. No slashes. No big bumps in the bridge of his nose. No funny knots by his orbital bones or chipped teeth.

Still. This is Pat Connaughton. He needs a hockey helmet in order to play the kind of fearless style that he likes. He holds still a bit – nope, eyes are good, not a little crossed. The 31-year-old laughs as his face is oddly studied, looking for the scar from that tackle from Denver or Minnesota or Houston.

“They keep asking me to do radio interviews after the game – and I say, you're trying to tell me I got a face for radio now, aren't you?” said Connaughton laughing. “I do have little scars on my face, but everything's just been quickly healing - which is good.”

If there was a lifetime achievement award for Most Bloody Cuts to Face Playing in NBA, who else would challenge him for it?

Connaughton wears this label – well, we shouldn’t say proudly, more like, with acceptance. Like Ersan Ilyasova taking a charge or Brandon Jennings’ 'Bucks in Six', Connaughton’s face-first style of defense - and the countless resulting elbows, hands, shoulders and jabs that have left him bloody - has given him a little reputation. It will probably always be part of Connaughton’s legacy. But it shouldn’t overshadow what his career has been here and what he's contributing now.

Under new leadership with head coach Doc Rivers, and also working with assistant coach Sidney Dobner, Connaughton is enjoying a productive season once again. It simply can not be judged by the stats - 5.7 points, 1.9 assists - alone.

After borrowing some influences for his game after a few people he’s admired over the years, Connaughton continues to strive to be a both ends player as his 111-112 defensive rating over the past couple of years (118 currently) helps to show.

"I try to combine some different styles,” said Connaughton. “Wesley Matthews was an undrafted guy playing lock down defense who could make threes. But I like to play-make a little bit and Doc has done a great job of allowing me to do that a little bit more. That's a little bit different than Wes.

“But I enjoy being able to kind of be a Swiss army knife.”

But what Connaughton finds most rewarding is help the Bucks win consistently.

“I'm not going to say it's my doing, but I've been a part of the winning since I've gotten here,” said Connaughton. “And the playoffs I think I've even played better than sometimes the regular season.”

Hustle plays, and sometimes hustle stats can show some of what Connaughton does. Deflections. Fights for the loose ball. Other times, the plus-minus stat after every game might be an indicator of his production too (unless he gets caught in a bad run). Sometimes it takes observation of what he does that helps the Bucks.

“I'm a business guy, so when you look at an investment, there's not just one thing you can point to as to why an investment is successful or unsuccessful,” said Connaughton. “Looking at a real estate deal, it's not just one reason as to why it's going to work or not work - it's a combination of a bunch of things.”

Nearby, in the locker room, Giannis Antetokounmpo interjects: “If you talk to Pat you’re going to be talking about investments. A lot…”

Connaughton laughs again - and doesn’t deny it. He continued to add that his Bucks value varies from game to game. Sometimes he needs to knock down shots when he’s open. Sometimes he just needs to hold his space, swinging from one side to another in half court.

"Sometimes I don't get the assist for it but the ball was moving,” said Connaughton. “Sometimes I just get in the right space, for someone like Giannis who needs space and when he has it, he can attack.

"A guy like Dame (Damian Lillard), sometimes it's a little guy like me coming and setting the screen because they are prepared for the 'big' to be on the screen."

And on defense, sometimes Connaughton covers the entirety of half court to chase down a would-be shooter. It doesn’t always lead to a miss or a blocked shot but his pressure makes the offense aware of the defensive presence.

"I'm sure there are people that think I'm crazy … but it's about making him not be in rhythm,” said Connaughton. “I'm trying to do my job right.

"As I get more in tune with Doc, like, what is your game plan? What are the things they want us to do? What are the things they're trying to do and how can I make sure that I know that inside and out? Not just for myself but for my teammates?”

Its funny though, for all the things Connaughton does – and takes pride in – there's one thing he's never embraced. The flop.

The Bucks don’t have floppers, and haven't really – even before the NBA cut down on them with new rules for this season (when a game official calls a flop, the offending player will be charged with a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul and the opposing team will be awarded one free throw attempt). Well, maybe Grayson Allen, when he was here, but generally speaking, the Bucks haven't been a team that tries to sell anything cheaply.

“Yeah, for us, we got a group of guys that we spend time in the weight room. We spend time trying to have a chip on our shoulder,” said Connaughton. “It's not really part of our DNA.

“The year we lost to Boston in the playoffs, two years ago, I remember being in the locker room, dejected. And I remember Bobby (Portis) saying he has to work on his flopping -  talking about it as a joke.

"It had become gamesmanship in the NBA - the flopping, with the soccer style. That's not really our M.O. and that's not what we're trying to do and hopefully that pays off in the playoffs because in the playoffs that whistle tightens up a little bit and there is more contact and there is more physicality and I think that's what we want to prepare ourselves for.”

The Bucks face top-rated Boston on Wednesday. Connaughton always loves playing there; it's his hometown. When called upon, Connaughton relies on his athleticism and his skill set to contribute what he can. His minutes have been a tick up lately under Rivers as the Bucks work through rotations and also deal with some injuries.

"NBA analytics guys, sometimes coaches - they want to put you in a bucket. Who are you? A 'D' guy, a three guy? I think Doc realized it wasn't about my confidence; it's more about just understanding that I'm a basketball player. I can shoot the ball but I'm not just a shooter. Being a basketball player is kind of what I pride myself in and trying to make sure that it directly correlates to winning."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pat Connaughton's bench role still vital to Milwaukee Bucks