TJ McConnell Headed to the Pacers
The Philadelphia 76ers have had a few different rosters over the past few years. The 2018-19 team had three different variations. One constant through the years of the Process was the presence of point guard T.J. McConnell.
From picking up full court defense to being a tremendous teammate, McConnell embodied what it means to be a Sixer in this era.
Unfortunately, he’s played his last game as a member of the Sixers. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, McConnell is headed to the Indiana Pacers on a two-year deal.
Source: Deal is two-years, $7M. http://t.co/9FnZtlOSgH
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2019
T.J. joins the Pacers as what looks to be their third-string point guard. Malcolm Brogdon is their starter and Aaron Holiday is their back-up. If Brogdon plays time at shooting guard, McConnell could see minutes in that scenario.
In 314 career games with the Sixers, McConnell averaged 6.4 points and 4.7 assists on 48.7 percent shooting.
The Journey
McConnell’s story is a good one and he dove into it during an episode of JJ Redick’s podcast in February. T.J. was the last invite to the 2015 NBA Draft Combine. While studying for finals in his senior year at Arizona, he got a call from his agent that he had to pay his way to Chicago for the combine. In case someone dropped out, he was going to get a chance. Luckily for McConnell, someone dropped out and he got an opportunity to show NBA teams what he was made of at that time. While most prospects met with multiple teams for nearly 2-3 hours, McConnell met with just one team – the Atlanta Hawks. His name wasn’t called on draft night, but just a few hours after the conclusion of the draft, McConnell got a call from Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown. The rest is history.
“It’s hard to put into words, really, to go from 10 wins to where we’re at right now. You gotta give credit to everyone that’s been involved in the front office, the players that have played here and the players we have now. ”
No one really ever thought McConnell would crack the roster, but he did. Even after Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons were drafted, McConnell still played his way onto the floor and he’s been a delight to watch, especially given his remarkable journey to the draft combine alone. McConnell didn’t see much time at all in the 2019 playoffs but remained a spectacular teammate to everyone.
Moments We Won’t Forget
T.J. McConnell was never the flashiest guy, but sure had his moments in a Sixers uniform. One of the most memorable plays of his came in January 2017. It was a buzzer beater over Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks.
Less than a month after his buzzer beater against the Knicks, McConnell found magic in Orlando.
On February 13, 2018, McConnell earned his first career triple-double. He was doused with water during his post-game interview with Molly Sullivan.
During the 2018 playoffs, McConnell played a big role against the Celtics. Game 4 was his shining moment, a 19 point, seven assist performance in the win.
This past season, one of T.J.’s closest friends returned to Philadelphia — Dario Saric. McConnell was able to get him one-on-one and hit a jumper over him. The made basket was followed by a friendly butt slap #TrustTheFriendship.
Thank You TJ
Joel Embiid might have the nickname “The Process”, but McConnell was the true embodiment of it. His court slapping, full court defending grit will be missed in the City of Brotherly Love. One last time, ring that bell brotha.
Ring that bell, @TJMcConnell. pic.twitter.com/C1B4owlvTa
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 13, 2018
Featured Image:
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
