Does Undrafted T.J. McConnell Really Have a Future with Philadelphia 76ers?

T.J. McConnell waited until the very last minute for an invite to May's NBA Draft Combine. Now he's the Philadelphia 76ers' starting point guard.

More shocking, McConnell is already approaching triple-double figures four games into his pro career. He followed a 12-assist, 23-minute effort in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with seven points, 12 dimes and nine rebounds Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Considered a winner in the NCAAs—McConnell helped change the identity of Arizona's team after transferring from Duquesne—you didn't find his name on too many mocks or top-50 big boards. 

Deprived of coveted athleticism, size, length or flashy scoring ability, McConnell may actually be just what the doctor ordered for the Sixers. 

Setting the Table, Ball Security 

McConnell finished second in Division I last year in pure point rating (6.83, per DraftExpress), which measures assists (6.3) to turnovers (2.1) relative to each other. He's a fantastic decision-maker, something the Sixers didn't have in Michael Carter-Williams and don't currently have in Isaiah Canaan or Tony Wroten Jr.  

	Minutes	Assists	Turnovers	Player Efficiency Rating	FG Pct.
McConnell	112	32	7	17.17	.529
Canaan	115	6	8	6.73	.257

McConnell rates high in PPR as a pro too. Through four games, McConnell's 12.61 pure point rating ranks second (minimum three games) only to Minnesota Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio. 

His offense is predicated on setting the table for teammates. Last year, 76.5 percent of his assists came in the half court, per Hoop-Math.com, meaning he excels at picking apart defenses when the game slows down.

Patient with excellent peripheral vision, McConnell dribbles with purpose to probe, manipulate, misdirect and ultimately free up shooters and finishers. He won't break down defenders or burn opponents off drive-and-kicks, but he picks his spots as a pick-and-roll facilitator and distributor within the team system or offense. 

For young bigs like Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, McConnell's approach would seem welcomed.

However, he comes packaged with some shortcomings. Don't bank on McConnell doing much scoring now or later. He'll scoop up buckets opportunistically off runners and timely drives, but rarely does he look for his own shot unless it's given to him. McConnell has just 17 field-goal attempts in 112 minutes so far.

Becoming an accurate open shooter should be a realistic goal. He shot much better for two years in the Atlantic 10 (41.6 percent) than he did his final two seasons in the Pac-12 (34.3 percent). 

Despite little elevation or height on his release, he's proved capable of knocking down jumpers out to the arc. But to really compensate for a lack of blow-by burst and above-the-rim hops, developing into a reliable threat on the perimeter would be huge for McConnell's long-term value.

Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Intangibles

Special intangibles have fueled McConnell's success and glowing reputation.

Sixers head coach Brett Brown is bound to value his competitive edge. McConnell plays with visible focus and contagious intensity at both ends of the floor. 

“T.J., in my opinion, is our team's heart and soul,” his former coach at Arizona, Sean Miller, told Triblive.com's John Harris. “You can't define his game by points. You have to define his game by leadership and playmaking.”

Much of McConnell's appeal stems from his command of the offense and knack for pushing the right buttons. It's a tribute to his tremendous basketball IQ and maturity. 

Defensive Attributes

McConnell made a name for himself defensively in college by forcing mistakes with relentless on-ball pressure.

Limited size and length didn't stop him from racking up 324 career college steals (2.9 per 40 minutes through four seasons) or locking down stars like D'Angelo Russell, who shot three of 19 during Ohio State's loss to the Wildcats during last year's NCAA tournament. 

In the pros, he doesn't quite project as the same ball-stopper he was at Arizona, but McConnell's scrappy nature and in-your-grill demeanor should help make up for unfavorable physical tools. 

Where Do McConnell and the Sixers Go from Here?

For the moment, McConnell's early performance—along with Canaan's shaky play—has helped him earn the starting position. The fact that he won the job in Philadelphia isn't as surprising as how quickly it happened. 

It's unclear what will happen when Wroten Jr. returns from injury, but the Sixers' decision not to extend him for next year could be telling. 

Philadelphia now has every reason to make McConnell's development a priority. It already knows what Canaan, Wroten, Kendall Marshall and Phil Pressey are and where their ceilings top out. That should mean more 30-minute appearances for McConnell as the team's primary ball-handler and decision-maker.  

Still, with obvious limitations, both physically and fundamentally, expectations have to be tempered. Chances are, we aren't talking about the game's next big thing. 

But McConnell has been awfully convincing through the first week of the season. He might not be the future of the Sixers' franchise, but it sure seems he's capable of playing a part in it.