Oct 18, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers point guard T.J. McConnell (12) drives the ball down the lane to the basket with Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack (2) defending during the 2nd qtr at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
T.J. McConnell has already mastered the element of surprise by making this NBA team. Again, this is another player that has been blessed by the Sixers woeful point guard issues. If Marshall and Wroten were both healthy, I don’t see any way that this rookie would have made the team. But, that’s not the case, and he’s finding himself as the backup point guard, and has an opportunity to make a statement as an NBA player earlier than he should’ve.
More from The Sixer Sense
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Sixers Podcast: Danny Green returns + James Harden bombshell
In the preseason, he had a great, very balanced stat line, scoring 6.2 points, 4.8 assists, and four rebounds. The player I expected to beat him out for the starting position was Scottie Wilbekin, who was a great scorer, but didn’t balance his game as well as McConnell.
McConnell is not going to get a ton of playing time, so he needs to do a lot with the time he does have. He also may find himself getting buried in the lineup once the “starters” come back, so he needs to show that he’s good enough to keep in the rotation
This may be used as motivation, and I could see him easily fueling his game with that.
Next: Christian Wood