The Sixer Sense
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T.J. McConnell Deserves A Philadelphia 76er Role

By Bret Stuter

Jan 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and guard T.J. McConnell (12) talk as time winds down in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and guard T.J. McConnell (12) talk as time winds down in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and guard T.J. McConnell (12) talk as time winds down in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) and guard T.J. McConnell (12) talk as time winds down in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 114-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Despite the Philadelphia 76ers struggles in the 2015-2016, Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell earned NBA respect. Now, he deserves a chance to earn more

Some people look better on the basketball court than they ought to. Whether it’s their height, wingspan, physique, or light experience in the game, some players simply are holding onto their dream of playing in the NBA much tighter than other players.

Point guard T.J. McConnell is one such “kid”.   I use the term deliberately, because next to the giants of Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Joel Embiid, the 6’2″ 200 pound baby-faced point guard from the University of Arizona looks younger than the others.  He reminds me of the scrappy younger brother who is told to go home when a pick up game is forming, only to earn his way onto a team by impressing all of the older boys.  He’s scrappy, and that gives him enough to overcome daily challenges that almost always seem to single him out.

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He’s Pennsylvanian, a son of Tim McConnell – a very successful high school basketball coach who we had discussed at mid season.  Despite a great basketball background, and an impressive college career split between the Duquesne Dukes and the Arizona Wildcats, the four year college grad did not garner enough interest from NBA teams to hear his name called in the 2015 NBA draft.  He was not the “ideal” measurable in terms of height and weight.  His scouting reports reflected the only detractors as the items he could never fix in the NBA through coaching:

“He’s Not The Ideal Height Or Weight”

And so, his NBA scouting reports did what they do – they constructed a ceiling because heart, desire, courage, audacity are simply not quantifiable.  His highest upside, according to the reports, were that he might attain a solid backup role.    And that was enough to ward off basketball minds.

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