T.J. McConnell Plays Point Guard The Way It Should Be Played
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- T.J. McConnell was no shoe-in to make it on an NBA roster this season. In fact, he may not have made any of the other 29 teams, and if it wasn't for a rash of injuries at his position, he probably would not have made the Sixers either.
The opportunity afforded to McConnell is giving him a chance to shine for the Sixers and the Pittsburgh native is making the most of his opportunity.
McConnell impressed on Monday night when the Sixers squared off against the Cavaliers. What makes McConnell effective is his ability to play heads up at all times. That trait is essential for the game of basketball, at no position more than the point guard.
The Arizona product by way of Duquesne, notched 12 assists with no turnovers against the Cavaliers in just over 23 minutes of action. He also chipped in seven rebounds and six points.
There is nothing flashy about the way McConnell plays. What he does well is what every coach wants of his point guard -- Push the pace and make the defense stop the ball...Don't turn it over...Get everyone in the right spot on the floor...Never give up your dribble early...Find the open man and feed the bigs.
McConnell's play stems from the relationship he has built with his new teammates, especially Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor. He has identified their strengths and knows the best spots on the floor to get them the ball so they are comfortable and can make a play. Anyone can pass the ball to a teammate, but a heads up point guard knows how to pass to them when they have the highest probability to do something positive with it.
"With a teammate like Nerlens, I mean it's hard not to get comfortable," McConnell told reporters following the game on Monday night. He explained how Noel has constantly been in his ear about how to improve and communicates frequently with him.
The relationship between a point guard and his big men is a vital one and it's an encouraging sign to see it so early for McConnell and his teammates.
McConnell impressed right off the bat on Monday night when halfway through the first quarter, he ran a pick roll play to perfection with Noel at the top of the key that led to an easy alley-oop lay-in for the big man.
Just over a minute later, McConnell kept his dribble and drove all the way to the rim, around Timofey Mozgov and found Noel cutting to the rim for the dunk when every Cleveland defender was distracted by the drive. Not only does he understand the offense he's running, but he understands the defensive strategy against it.
For example, in the third quarter, the Cavaliers went small leaving Tristan Thompson as the biggest guy on the floor with James Jones as the power forward. Thompson fronted Okafor on the block to try to deny him the ball while Jones was supposed to play the weakside to provide help over the top.
McConnell recognized this from the elbow and saw that Jones was too far out of position on the weak side. A perfectly lofted pass into the lane allowed for Okafor to catch, turn and finish over the smaller Jones for two of his game-high 24 points.
The Matthew Dellavedova comparison is fair, but there are also some noticeable similarities to some more high profile floor generals like John Stockton and Tony Parker. I'm not saying McConnell is poised for the Hall of Fame, but what made and makes those two so great is their ability to see the whole floor and the knowledge they have about how much of a weapon their dribble is.
Once Sixers like Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall return healthy, it will be interesting to see what the Sixers do with McConnell. The young guard is certainly making his case to stick around and if the team does part with him, it won't be an easy call.
