Section 215
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: T.J. McConnell will always have a home in Philadelphia

By Matty Breisch

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 03: T.J. McConnell #9 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball in the game against the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 03, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 03: T.J. McConnell #9 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball in the game against the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 03, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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While T.J. McConnell may no longer be a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, he will always have a home in the City of Brotherly Love.

T.J. McConnell has one of the most complicated names to type in the NBA.

Granted, as long as you can remember the double Cs, Ns, and Ls, it’s not too hard to remember McConnell’s name, it’s just a slog to hit the caps lock, find the periods, and do so effectively.

Why am I peeling back the curtains and lamenting the complexities of spelling a player’s name who isn’t even a member of the Philadelphia 76ers anymore? Well, because I miss writing it. And more than that, I miss seeing number 12 – the old number 12 – running around the court, weaving through traffic, and most notably picking up full court as one of the league’s premier pickpockets.

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Why? Because in a lot of ways T.J. McConnell was the Sixers.

While Joel Embiid may have co-opted ‘The Process’ as his WWF-style moniker in the same vein as ‘The Answer’ or ‘The Round Mound of Rebound’, is there any player who personified what it meant to be a Process-era 76er more than McConnell?

Robert Covington maybe, but he was technically a member of the Houston Rockets for seven games in 2013-14 before joining up with Philly the following fall. McConnell, on the other hand, joined up with Brett Brown‘s squad as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and despite having half a dozen guards in front of him going into training camp, the Pittsburgh-by-way-of-Arizona product somehow found a way to make the opening night roster.

Not only that, but McConnell actually earned serious minutes in the 2015-16 season’s opening night – albeit in a game where he was brutalized a then-MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas, Brad Stevens, and those darn Boston Celtics (more on that here).

From there, McConnell consistently improved his play, and went from a deep bench reserve, to a rotation player, to an eventual 57-game starter for a super fun team to watch.

But unfortunately, it was never meant to last.

No, while McConnell was playing homegrown hero as the most unlikely starting point guard in the NBA in 2016-17, that year’s first overall pick, Ben Simmons, was sitting on the sidelines rehabbing a fractured foot. No matter how well McConnell played, and he did play well, he was never going to unseat Simons as the 76ers eventual starting point guard.

Still, McConnell played two more seasons with the Sixers – appearing in a very appropriate 76 games in each regular season – and almost single-handedly willed the team past the Boston Celtics in the 2017-18 postseason thanks to a pair of quality performances against the team that once embarrassed him as a rookie.

Make no mistake, McConnell would still be the 76ers’ best backup option at point guard in 2019-20, as he’s a much better player than both Raul Neto and Trey Burke – he’s being paid more than both of them combined for a reason.

Next. Are two backup point guards better than one?. dark

So as T.J. McConnell returns to town for his first of many games as a foe, not friend, let’s make a deal: Philadelphia 76ers will forever cheer on their former point guard (and People’s Champion) on the condition that he occasionally throws a free frosty our way. I think that’s a pretty sweet deal for all parties involved.