5 Reasons for Philadelphia 76ers to Keep T.J. McConnell

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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 /

Compliments teammates

One of the biggest things McConnell does on the floor is make his teammates better. We saw him set Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel up nicely on tons of possessions last season. We saw him kick up the offense and look for passes rather than his own shots.

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But even off of the floor, McConnell does a lot of complimenting. Even when he has big games, he’s often crediting that to his teammates.

In a piece that Ray Boyd did on McConnell for CBS Philadelphia, he wrote this about T.J.:

"“With a teammate like Nerlens, I mean it’s hard not to get comfortable,” McConnell told reporters following the game on Monday night. He explained how Noel has constantly been in his ear about how to improve and communicates frequently with him."

That is what McConnell had to say following his huge 12-assist game for the Sixers (he followed that game up with another 12-assist performance). McConnell could have easily bragged about how he was finding the right people at the right time, but instead credited his success to his teammates.

Again, speaking to Bob Cooney about Ben Simmons, McConnell said:

"What he can do with a ball at his size, his speed, I’ve never seen anything like it and have never played with anyone like that… It’s a joy to watch and a joy to play with. His athleticism and the way that he can handle the ball at 6-10, it’s incredible. So, for me, when I’m off the ball I think I have to get better moving around. Everyone is so focused on him that I’ll be able to cut and slash and then people will have to help and that’s when others get better shots"

Even though Simmons arguably threatens T.J.’s role on the team as a pass-first type of player, McConnell recognized how good Simmons was and spoke highly of his teammates. He’s the type of good-guy you want in your locker room, the player that’s always going to find the good in another player and accentuate it.

Next: Wants to be a coach on the floor