Philadelphia 76ers 2017-18 season report cards

11 of 16

BOSTON, MA – MAY 9: T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2018 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

T.J. McConnell

Season stats: 6.3 points, three rebounds, four assists, 1.2 steals, 0.2 blocks, 49.9% FG, 43.5% 3PT, 79.5% FT

Grade: A-

T.J. McConnell had a complicated year. At some points throughout the year, more athletic reserve guards exposed him on defense, but at other times, he was the perfect glue guy for the 76ers. The University of Arizona alum brings his stereotypical grit in every game, but his offensive improvement stole the show this season.

His 19-point outburst in the Sixers game four win over the Boston Celtics highlights his great year, and rightfully so. Coach Brown only played T.J. for 23 minutes combined in the first two games of the second round series, yet once Robert Covington’s struggles became too much for Brown to watch, McConnell received the starting honors and ran with that opportunity.

The floor general shot 75 percent from the field while acting as the main catalyst in Philly’s 103-92 win over Boston. He put up a season-high 19 points along with eight boards and five assists in that game, then went for nine points, five boards, six assists, and two steals in a typical well-rounded affair from the floor general in the team’s last game of the season.

McConnell’s jump shot also improved drastically. He went from hitting 20 percent from three-point range in 2016-17 to making 43.5 percent from deep this year. He does take an eternity to reach his release point, but when he has space, he becomes a legitimate threat on the perimeter.

Although T.J. was on the court during many of the notorious blown leads, he was more innocent than any other second-string player. When Brown paired the point guard with Belinelli, he really blossomed into an above-average role player. If the team keeps those two reserve guards for next season and adds a scorer through the draft, Philly’s bench will intimidate many opponents in 2018-19.