Phildelphia 76ers TJ McConnell Plays With The Eye Of The Tiger

McConnell Meets Smith

Brett Brown had a prospect who needed minutes. But he also had to work the healthy return of both Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall into the lineup. So minutes were needed to allocate to others, and much like the basketball, McConnell fed his teammates.

The results were less than spectacular. Tony Wroten returned rusty. With a cycle alternating with Kendall Marshall, Wroten never seemed to get on track. His turnovers averaged higher than his field goals per game. And with a team already struggling on defense, the team needed immediate positive impact from the point guard position.

Kendall Marshall fared a little better.  While his turnovers did not reach critical mass, his game seemed to be off.   His reputation of generating assists and elevating the game of his teammates was greater than the delivered results on the floor, albeit with restricted minutes.  So with Wroten ineffective, and Marshall less effective, the burden of point guard continuesd to fall onto McConnell.  Or so everyone thought.

But the Sixers wisely traded for former Sixers point guard Ish Smith.   To make room on the roster, the team had to part ways with struggling Tony Wroten, which kept the point guard stable. The trade was not an expensive one, but two second round draft picks was a strong statement that the starting role would be given to Ish Smith.  Upon arriving, Smith has been instrumental in three victories in the past six games.  He’s averaged 23.9 minutes per game ( 14.7 points per game, 8.2 assist per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, and 1.5 steals per game.

So the point guard role should be settled, right?

Not exactly settled.  There is still the point of guards coming off the bench.  Since Smith’s arrival, Kendall Marshall is struggling to find minutes on the court, and struggling even moreso when he gets there.  But T.J. McConnell plays with the eye of the tiger.  Formerly compared to Ish Smith, he wasted no time further emulating the play of Smith on the court.  Coming off the bench, McConnell has averaged 14.8 minutes per game, shooting at 40.9% from the floor, and is averaging 3.8 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 stl.   With the exception of scoring, T.J. McConnell, McConnell’s numbers are comparable to Smith’s.

Next: 76ers Climb In Some Power Rankings

2015 is now a memory, a chapter in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers.   Much is being made of the arrival of Jerry Colangelo, Mike D’Antoni, Ish Smith, and even the anticipated arrival of Elton Brand.   But it’s not their arrival alone that is turning this Philadelphia 76ers team towards success.  The Philadelphia 76ers have found success with Ish Smith at point guard.  But their current success also takes root in the response of the other players as well.  It’s the response of players like T.J. McConnell to change which is turning the corner for this team.  Facing the likelihood of descending to the bench, he stood up once more.  This will not be his fate so easily.   He is learning quickly, and his contribution is every bit as integral to the team.

The Philadelphia 76ers are still learning and will be for a very long time.  But now they are learning how to win.  If it’s up to T.J. McConnell, it’s a lesson they will have frequently this season.