Statistical Spotlight: T.J. McConnell shines early for the Sixers
By Jacob Rosen
Every week, Jacob Rosen will attempt to spotlight one trending player in the NBA with a few added statistics and some storylines. The series begins with a look at undrafted rookie guard T.J. McConnell.
It’s difficult to contextualize the on-court development process happening right now with the Philadelphia 76ers. Although Sam Hinkie only has been in charge for 2.5 years, the back-and-forth media debate over the vaunted “Process” makes it feel like it’s been easily a decade already.
The Sixers are 0-7 this season and figure to be well on their way to another top-five draft pick. They actually could have as many as five first-rounders next June, along with the expected arrival of 2014 No. 12 selection Dario Saric. Yes, they might seem slightly more competitive and pieces are starting to fall into place. But they remain one of the NBA’s worst teams. Their roster will have much more shakeup both in the short- and long-term.
All of that makes the 2015-16 season another early part of the “process.” The team’s goal is to find any possible rotation players outside of their signature draft investments which, as of now, includes Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and Jahlil Okafor. If/when the team is rising up the Eastern Conference ranks, those players are expected to have key roles. Every other spot is potentially up for grabs.
The instant reaction one should have to this plan so far: Where are the guards? Wings Robert Covington, out for another week-plus with an MCL sprain, and Hollis Thompson both have been fairly productive in their young careers. Covington especially was a popular pick for a breakout season with additional playing time. JaKarr Sampson, another wing and the NBA’s second-most famous Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School product, actually played out of position at point guard last season.
Philadelphia, in typical fashion, signed all three of those players to four-year non-guaranteed deals. If they continue to play well, they’ll be around for a while. But they’re not really guards. Thus, the Sixers have enlisted a moderately humorous rotating cast and crew at the guard position during Hinkie’s young tenure. Basketball-Reference.com counts 19 different 76ers guards during this span. It’s a fantastic list.
The latest guard to have an unexpectedly large role in this extended tryout phase: T.J. McConnell, the former floor general for the Arizona Wildcats who went undrafted this past summer. McConnell, who also signed a non-guaranteed four-year deal, is off to a torrid start and is one of the most surprising storylines to the young season. His impressive play won him the starting point guard for the fourth game of the season last week, pushing Isaiah Canaan to the two-guard spot behind Nik Stauskas.
Quickly, McConnell’s 7.5 assists per game are tied for fifth in the league. Here’s a look at how much better the Sixers offense has played with McConnell on the court thus far, via NBA.com/stats[1. All stats exclusive of Monday night’s loss to Chicago]:
Okafor alone is shooting 32-of-50 (64 percent) with McConnell on the court and 17-of-35 (39.5 percent) otherwise. Noel is shooting 21-of-40 (52.5 percent) with McConnell on the court and 11-of-36 (30.6 percent) otherwise. The discrepancies are pretty wild for a player many expected to never make a difference in the NBA.
It’s of course necessary to emphasize the small-sample-size theater of these on-off statistics, which are notoriously noisy. In addition, his Time of Possession is over 20 percent, a top-10 highest mark in the league. But his Scoring Usage is very low for a player handling the ball for that amount of time. He’s taking only 6.7 shots per 36 minutes, many of the left-wide-open variety.
Upside & Motor’s Gregory Mason wrote about McConnell’s quick chemistry with the team’s prized big men. He’s found a knack for finding them in the right spots offensively. As Jonathan Tjarks wrote after last Wednesday’s Milwaukee Bucks game, McConnell “definitely helps this team because he’s a ‘true PG’ who makes the easy play, knows how to set his teammates up and run an offense and doesn’t make a lot of bad decisions.”
McConnell himself and head coach Brett Brown both have made the expected comparisons to Matthew Dellavedova, another undrafted rookie guard who seemingly came out of nowhere after a productive college career. Of course, McConnell’s table-setting offensive repertoire is indeed a contrast to the defensive intensity of the now-established Cleveland guard. But he’s hoping that this tryout with the Sixers can perhaps lead to something more down the line.
However, all of this excitement about McConnell’s hot start comes while relative Sixers veteran Tony Wroten and newly acquired Kendall Marshall both recover from torn ACLs. Currently, Phil Pressey is the backup after being signed using the hardship waiver. Once Wroten and Marshall return, the minute allocations could get dicey as the team experiments with the best fits for its developing big men.
In the meanwhile, T.J. McConnell’s hot start is one of the fun under-the-radar stories of the NBA season amid the continued piling of losses for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have him locked up for years to come, if they want him to stay. And a surprising steal like him is exactly what the team hopes to be doing as they build up for brighter days ahead.