Who gets more minutes as backup point guard: Bayless or McConnell?
This comes down the question of fit versus grit, with Bayless and McConnell both offering starkly different benefits.
Bayless is the obvious best fit, while also boasting the largest contractual obligation between the two. He shot 43.7 percent from deep during his last season with Milwaukee, producing well as both a pick-and-roll scorer and a spot-up shooter for a Bucks team that managed to push the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.
He missed almost all of last season with a wrist injury, but figures to offer many of the same benefits to Philadelphia once he’s back in working shape. He’s another knockdown shooter on a bench that still doesn’t have the greatest shooting depth, while his game fits well in theory alongside players like Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz.
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This Sixers team has long-needed a boost in perimeter scoring, and bringing Bayless in behind Fultz and Redick only reaffirms their commitment to fixing that problem.
With all that said, McConnell — who really shouldn’t be in this conversation from a talent perspective — just feels like he’s earned his spot in the rotation. His energy on the defensive end is contagious, while he has clearly become one of the focal points in a thriving young locker room.
He knows his limitations and works his butt off on every waking position, making heady plays offensively and grinding against the opposition defensively. The Sixers were at their best last season after he joined the starting rotation, and seeing him emerge as Fultz’s primary backup just feels right.
How it plays out will once again be determined largely by training camp, so it’s far too early to make any definitive statements in regards to who will see what playing time. I’ve learned to not bet against T.J., though.
Will I ever find anyone?
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Even if it takes a couple of years, just Trust The Process.