What Cavs FA target Pat Connaughton could provide

Connaughton’s shooting could aid the Cavs, to an extent

Connaughton is not a player that at all you’d consider a knockdown shooter, as I’d firmly believe Dylan Windler will end up being, but in some lineups with Windler and/or KPJ, among others, Connaughton could be a capable spot-up threat.

Connaughton is a career 34.4 percent shooter from three-point range on 2.2 attempts per contest, with a three-point attempt rate of 54.2 percent. That was a 33.1 percent clip in 2019-20, which was not fantastic no. But him placing in the 59th percentile on spot-ups, per Synergy Sports, was decent on a frequency of 33.1 percent.

Granted, Connaughton would be a be key on-ball threat in his minutes-share with Cleveland, nor any team I wouldn’t think, but the 27-year-old could, in theory, aid the Cavs’ driving threats as a decent catch-and-shoot perimeter threat.

Now, Connaughton wouldn’t have the gravity of Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor with him with the Cavs, but he’d still likely get his share of open looks off of ball-swings, anyhow. And Connaughton is capable of hitting open triples, I’d think, which he should still could very well have at times with attention drawn to Kevin Love, Collin Sexton and/or Kevin Porter Jr.

Connaughton placing in the 55th percentile on a 7.9 percent frequency in handoff scoring situations last season, per Synergy, could indicate he could be respectable in that realm, feasibly with Larry Nance Jr. a bit, too.

So, looking at the potential for Connaughton with the Cavaliers, who made $1.6 million last season, for a brief side note, I could see him as a decent reserve perimeter option.

That’s if the Wine and Gold don’t end up taking a wing in the 2020 NBA Draft set to be on Nov. 18, which I’d probably rather see be the case to replace Cedi Osman long-term than acquiring Connaughton, whose not a player with a starting ceiling.

But we’ll see if Connaughton ultimately is a Cav, via this upcoming free agency period, though. Would he be my ideal choice for Cleveland? No, but I could understand the Cavs’ reasoning for pursuing/signing him.

And the Notre Dame product would be coming from a recent winning squad in Milwaukee, which could help from a locker room standpoint.