Milwaukee Bucks forward Pat Connaughton may have given Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young some motivation after heaping praise on Kevin Durant.
Connaughton spoke about the Bucks' upcoming series against the Hawks after warring with Durant and the Brooklyn Nets for seven games in the conference finals. He seemed quite pleased not to be facing KD anymore:
“Each team just went to war, for lack of a better term, for seven games,” Connaughton said, via ESPN's Malika Andrews. “It's refreshing to play against a different team… especially one that doesn't have Kevin Durant on it.”
Connaughton is hardly offering the most earth-shattering statement here. Durant torched the Bucks for 35.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists during the series. He nearly led the Nets to the conference finals practically on his own.
Ultimately, the Bucks managed to outlast Brooklyn. Milwaukee sounds relieved to be facing a different team, which might inspire Young to put on a show.
The Hawks star posted inefficient shooting numbers in Atlanta's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting below 40 percent from the field and just over 32 percent from beyond the arc. However, Young still averaged close to 30 points per contest thanks in part to his ability to get to the line. He also dished out over 10 assists and consistently seemed to make plays late in games.
The Hawks can't expect Young to be as prolific as Durant, especially since the Bucks will probably stick with Jrue Holiday as his primary on-ball defender. Still, perhaps “Ice Trae” will be intent on showing the Bucks they need to keep their guard up despite moving on from Durant and the Nets.
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