For the Sixers, good point guards have been hard to come by. Jrue Holiday and Michael Carter-Williams have been the closest Philadelphia has had in a while to being point guards the team can build around, though both have been traded as a part of the rebuilding process. Soon enough, the Sixers found themselves with a crowded front court, while lacking in guards. The only thing consistent about the Sixers’ back court play was its inconsistency. The players, as well as their quality of play, fluctuated game to game.
At the start of the 2015-2016 season, the Sixers found themselves with Isaiah Canaan, Phil Pressey, Tony Wroten, Kendall Marshall, and TJ McConnell. Marshall and Wroten were both recovering from torn ACLs and had minutes restrictions. Canaan, Pressey, Wroten, and Marshall all had NBA experience, and fans in some ways knew what to expect from them. TJ McConnell, however, popped onto the scene out of nowhere. A Pittsburgh native, McConnell attended Duquesne University, averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals per game as a freshman and 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.8 steals per game as a sophomore. He then transferred to the University of Arizona, where he had to sit out the 2012-2013 year because of NCAA transfer rules. In his first season playing for the Wildcats, TJ averaged 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, while gathering 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in his final season in Arizona. Though these are good numbers, they were not enough to place him in the upper echelon of point guards as he declared for the 2015 NBA draft.
An undrafted rookie, McConnell joined the Sixers for the 2015 Summer League. His name was easily forgotten that summer, as he was overshadowed by the outstanding play of lottery pick Jahlil Okafor. He still put together solid numbers, averaging 5.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. TJ signed a multi-year contract with the Sixers on September 27, 2015, and went on to show improvement in his five preseason games. In his regular season debut, he played 27 minutes, where he put up four points, four assists, and three steals in the loss. He averages about 20.9 minutes a game, playing mostly as the back up point guard to the newly re-acquired Ish Smith. He is averaging 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, which is good, but his numbers don't do him justice.
Each game he continues to improve, and with Smith’s arrival, has made even greater strides. When he enters a game, he brings a certain fire and tenacity that is immeasurable. He pushes the pace of the game; which is just what Brett Brown’s Sixers want to do. For Sam Hinkie and his team, this is a great find. Lottery picks will almost always get the team a young star to develop, but taking a chance on an undrafted free agent rookie generally has more varied results. McConnell has already quietly put together a good season, and with more grooming, he can become an even better player and potentially have a long career in the NBA.
