The Sixer Sense
Fansided

How Many Future Stars On Philadelphia 76ers Today?

By Bret Stuter

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) is greeted by center Joel Embiid (L) during a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) is greeted by center Joel Embiid (L) during a press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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T.J. McConnell

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200
Wingspan: 6-foot-0

Strengths: Scrappy point guard who is a sponge. Undrafted, he assumed a significant role as point guard for the Philadelphia 76er last year. He performed very well for a young man on the “on-the-job-training” track. He was one of the top rookies in assists, and his 47 percent shooting accuracy demonstrated taking quality shots.

Weaknesses: Young and inexperienced. He was forced to carry the team at the most challenging position as an undrafted rookie. McConnell will benefit greatly from coming off the bench behind Sergio Rodriguez and Ben Simmons. He brings high energy and passion to his lineup, but he will need to improve on his reads.

Fit to Team Scheme: McConnell may not be as blessed dimensionally, but his fire is a welcome addition to the team that needs more passion. It will be interesting to see how he resonates with Gerald Henderson, another very passionate player.

Platinum Tier Requirement: Ultimately, the point guard runs the team’s offense. To achieve the best at this position, he will need to generate 12 assists per game, as well as score 28 points per game, and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Gold Tier Requirement:  The gold tier is the top 10 percent in the NBA, which requires that he be one of the top three players in the position. To land at this tier, he will need to generate 10.0 assists per game, as well as 23 points per game, and just 5.0 rebounds per game.

Silver Tier Requirement: Now were are in the top 21 percent of the position, and at this level he needs to be very good.  To do this, he needs to generate 8.0 assists per game, as well as 17.0 points per game, and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Likely tier projection: Silver. Believe it or not, per 36 minutes of play, McConnell is already generating 8.2 assists and 5.6 rebounds. He simply needs to learn to trust himself to shoot more.  Averaging 11.1 points per 36, he simply needs to take six more shots (per 36 mins) to achieve Silver. If he gets enough playing time this year, he could accomplish that by the end of the season.

Next: Player One: Covington