Philadelphia 76ers: McConnell Won't Make Final Roster

T.J. McConnell is going to have to fight hard to make the final Philadelphia 76ers roster. He may be cut, which could actually work out better for him.

T.J. McConnell is such a likable player. Just from what we observe on the court, and the brief periods we can see of him off of the court, it’s clear that he’s a great guy, and it’s clear that he’s a determined individual. He did well for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.

McConnell was the very last player invited to the 2015 NBA Draft Combine. That didn’t bring him down. He went undrafted that season as well. That didn’t bring him down, either. When he got a small, non-guaranteed contract with the Sixers, he still wasn’t brought down. In fact, all of that appeared to be very motivating for McConnell. He kept out-doing his expectations, and kept proving his doubters wrong.

This season, however, he may be at a disadvantage bigger than his skill set. He may be cut by the Sixers, but in the end, it may work out all right for him. Don’t get me wrong — I love T.J. as a player, and I want to see him make the team. With that said, I just don’t see a way, structurally, for it to work with the Sixers current depth chart.

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Going in to training camp this season, the Sixers have a ton of point guards at their disposal. They have Jerryd Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez, both signed this offseason. They will primarily be the starting point and first man off of the bench. Then, Gerald Henderson can run some point, if needed as well.

Then, after those two, there is likely one spot open for the point guard slot. T.J. McConnell and Anthony Barber (who was recently signed by the Sixers) will fight for that final third point guard spot. Although T.J. seems to have the leg up over Cat, Cat also has some enticing qualities.

Cat has been called the Allen Iverson of the ACC, which is a pretty bold description of a player who went undrafted. But looking at some film of Barber will tell anyone a lot about him. He’s a solid player who has the ability to create separation off of the dribble and capitalize with a solid shot. He also has the nimbleness to get to the rim.

Looking at his competition, T.J. McConnell, T.J. is lacking in the scoring ability, and definitely lacking in the ability to create separation between himself and his defender to give himself an open shot. And when McConnell does get those open shots, he often misses. His strong suit is not scoring, it’s passing.

Barber’s stat line of 14.5 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game during his three years of college, while shooting 43 percent from the field is enticing. Even if you don’t think McConnell will be cut, you have to admit that Barber is going to give him a run for his money. It’s inevitable, given how exciting Barber is, ad the fact that he has drawn comparisons to Iverson, arguable the greatest player in Sixers history over the last few decades.

McConnell’s spot on the team is certainly threatened. For now, I feel like he’s not going to make the team. I am thinking back to last year, however, when I said the same thing about McConnell, and he completely surprised me, and everyone else. I wouldn’t be too thrown back to see that again.

Next: Jah Continues to Prove Doubters Wrong

If McConnell is cut, he may have the freedom to be picked up by a team that can offer him more playing time and a better opportunity for career expansion. I’m sure he’d rather not have to relocate and get acclimated with another team, but I don’t think he’d be too disappointed to be cut and have the chance to find a team with more minutes for him.

T.J. McConnell Isn’t Going to Make the Final Roster

By Josh Wilson | Sep 4, 2016

T.J. McConnell is going to have to fight hard to make the final Philadelphia 76ers roster. He may be cut, which could actually work out better for him.

More from The Sixer Sense