The NBA is fast approaching, and the Milwaukee Bucks were hit with some unfortunate injury news ahead of tip-off. The reigning Central Division champions will be without Pat Connaughton for the next three weeks as the swingman recovers from a calf strain.
Pat Connaughton will be out approximately three weeks, per the #Bucks.
— Jim Owczarski (@JimOwczarski) October 16, 2022
Head coach Mike Budenholzer said yesterday he felt the wing would be out longer than initially hoped.
Connaughton was an integral part of the Bucks’ lineups last season. The 29-year-old appeared in 65 games, starting 19, ranking fifth on the team in Win Shares and fourth in Value Over Replacement Player, as calculated by Basketball-Reference.
The Bucks will have some minutes to fill with Connaughton unavailable. Grayson Allen and Khris Middleton are the projected starters at shooting guard and small forward, respectively, and could absorb some of the workload; however, Wesley Matthews is available off the bench and should see increased usage over the next few weeks.
Milwaukee opens the regular season Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Bucks priced as modest +3.5 underdogs for the Eastern Conference clash.
