The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Should Commit to T.J. McConnell Going Forward

By Pete Sawan

Feb 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard TJ McConnell (1) reacts as time winds down on a victory against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 117-109. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard TJ McConnell (1) reacts as time winds down on a victory against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 117-109. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the constant uncertainty that the team faces, it would make sense for the Philadelphia 76ers to stick with a proven commodity in T.J. McConnell.

Let’s face it, the Philadelphia 76ers still have a ton of holes. The summer of 2017 proves to be the most important offseason of this era’s Sixers. With this season winding down, now seems like as good a time as any to at least recognize this.

Now, even though the Philadelphia 76ers have so many holes, they still have done well in finding guys who should stick around. Guys like T.J. McConnell, Robert Covington, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot have proven that they can hang in this league. Particularly, T.J. McConnell has excelled in the opportunities he has received.

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To me, a guy like McConnell only makes your team better. He provides that much needed defensive presence that gets lost in today’s game. For a point guard of his ability, T.J. McConnell deserves to stick around long-term.

Now, a portion of the fanbase thinks T.J. gets overhyped by the other portion of the fanbase. They might feel as though McConnell plays well because of the lack of talent on the Philadelphia 76ers roster.

Now, to me, that just seems irrational. T.J. McConnell improves with every opportunity he gets, and he makes everyone else around him that much better.

McConnell’s Play

Now, the idea that T.J. McConnell has stuck around for the Philadelphia 76ers definitely makes sense. His contract makes him a valuable asset in that the cost to retain him correlates with his output. In other words, McConnell is a low risk, high reward kind of player.

As a defender, T.J. McConnell puts the Sixers in a great situation for success. This season, he has put up a 2.9 percent steal percentage rate. That puts him at sixth in the league in that area. This stat basically means that 2.9 percent of opponent possessions end up with a McConnell steal.

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He does a much better job on defense than any of the other Philadelphia 76ers guards. He posts a defensive box plus minus of 0.0. Now, that sounds rather boring. But, if you’ve watched a minute of Sixers basketball, you’d understand that his defensive ability holds the team together. You can tell that his energy when he initiates a full-court press gives the Sixers a much needed advantage.

Yes, McConnell does not provide much offensively. He can’t shoot the three, and rarely ever does. If he drives into the lane, 9 times out of 10 he will run underneath the net and reset. I understand this, but it doesn’t mean he can’t help on that end of the floor.

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For a guy who went undrafted, T.J. McConnell sure knows how to ball. This year in particular, he has added a few layers to his game. For instance, his handles have improved. He added a spin move that puts defenders on skates, opening the floor for his teammates. Let’s not forget that this guy has hit not one, but two game winners this year. If individual teams gave out a most improved player award, McConnell would be in the running for the Sixers.

Is T.J. the Next Delly?

Now, you probably think that I’m overdoing this one. Yes, both T.J. McConnell and Matthew Dellavedova went undrafted. Both guys have gone on to achieve some sort of success in the NBA. Delly obviously played an important role for the Cleveland Cavaliers in their quest for an NBA championship last season.

However, I’m not saying that T.J. and Delly are the same guy. If anything, I don’t want T.J. to become what Delly has become — an overpaid backup. The key here revolves around locking up T.J. before he hits that Dellavedova threshold.

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Before we look at what McConnell would get on the open market, let’s look at the current situation. For next season, T.J has a non-guaranteed contract priced at a little over $1 million. The season after that, he has a team option worth around the same amount. After that, T.J. would become a free agent.

Don’t Overpay

Now, if you ask me, the Philadelphia 76ers would be foolish to commit huge money to T.J. McConnell. I like him, but the only way I would want him around long-term is as a serviceable backup. The Milwaukee Bucks spent $38 million over 4 years on a guy who plays starter minutes but doesn’t put up starter numbers. Dellavedova certainly deserves a spot in the NBA, but at the rate he earns, I wouldn’t touch him with a 10 foot pole.

Ideally, I would sign McConnell as a $4-6 million a year guy. If he wants Matthew Dellavedova money, he can forget it. Even though I really like T.J., I understand that his role makes him viable in the right situation. If the Philadelphia 76ers were smart, they would keep it in that realm.

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In fear of a Delly-like situation, the Philadelphia 76ers should try to lock up T.J. McConnell long-term. This would prevent him from forcing the Sixers hand in a free agent situation. Hopefully, both sides can work out a deal that works best for the team. While McConnell doesn’t seem like the type, you never know when a guy might overvalue himself to the point where both sides can’t agree on a number.