Player No. 2 the Boston Celtics should bring home: Pat Connaughton
When Boston has the chance to add Championship DNA to its fairly young core, they need to strike quickly in the form of Milwaukee Bucks swingman, Pat Connaughton.
The six-foot-five forward was born in Arlington, Massachusetts, and attended high school at St. Johns Prep in Danvers. He was a multi-sport athlete that could have gone pro as a pitcher in the MLB, but chose to pursue his NBA dream instead. He has been very adamant about his feelings of wonder and awe getting play in TD Garden as he was a huge Boston Celtics fan growing up.
What is not to like about this guy: a player that can effectively guard multiple positions and hit threes at a fairly efficient rate. He netted treys at a nearly 40% cushion this regular season and last year on route to an NBA championship hit over 38% of his shots from beyond the arc.
The second-round selection has played with a chip on his shoulder and has a never say die attitude that would seemingly translate to being a true Celtic. His shooting numbers exploded against the Phoenix Suns in six games in the NBA finals, where he hit a scorching 44% from distance in the series.
He is also a freak athlete which helps him on both ends of the court as a capable driver offensively and a guy that covers ground on the defensive side of the rock. Connaughton is a player that knows his role and plays within the team concept to win basketball games.
Connaughton is a winner to put it plain and simple, making the playoffs every year of his young career and accumulating 65 big games of experience between the Blazers and the Bucks.
Where experience meets seamless fit comes a 29-year-old wing named Pat.