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Indiana Pacers: Ranking each player from the 2019-20 season

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 01: Domantas Sabonis #11 and T.J. McConnell #9 of the Indiana Pacers celebrate against the New York Knicks in the second half of a game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 1, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Knicks defeated the Pacers 92-85. 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 Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 01: Domantas Sabonis #11 and T.J. McConnell #9 of the Indiana Pacers celebrate against the New York Knicks in the second half of a game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 1, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Knicks defeated the Pacers 92-85. 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 Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
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8. TJ McConnell, guard

Coming in at No.  8 is another point guard for the Indiana Pacers, TJ McConnell.

McConnell was a signing that surprised some people this offseason. After trading for Malcolm Brogdon and bringing Aaron Holiday back, some were wondering how McConnell would fit into the rotation. It took TJ a month or so to figure out his place with the team, but he found it and he has not looked back.

TJ McConnell has appeared in 63 games for Indiana, playing 18.9 minutes per game in those appearances. Slightly below his career average in minutes per game, but McConnell has made those minutes count with the Pacers. For his season, McConnell averaged 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.0 rebounds per game on excellent 52-33-83 shooting splits, and a PER of 16.2.

McConnell is another guy who brings a shot of adrenaline off the bench for the Pacers. He likes to play up-tempo, aggressive basketball, which is exactly what the Pacers were looking for when they brought him in. McConnell is a traditional point guard in the sense that he is looking to get everyone involved first, and he is a good, smart passer. Where he is a non-traditional point guard is the fact that he has everything dialed up to 100. But the thing with TJ is, he can remain in control when playing at that fast pace. That is what makes him so valuable.

But what comes to a lot of people’s minds when they think about TJ McConnell, is his scrappy defense. Of which there is no better example from this season than his play against his former team the Sixers from January of this year. This was a back and forth game the entire way. With just under nine minutes remaining, the Pacers trailed by one point. McConnell took the ball and went right at his defender, scoring on one of his patented fall-away baseline eight footers. He then got up off the ground and chased down the ball handler from behind, stole the ball and dished it off to Justin Holiday for a dunk as he was falling down, putting the Pacers up three (video above).

The entirety of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and potentially the entire city of Indianapolis was on their feet. That sequence from TJ altered the flow of the game, that Indiana would eventually go on to win.

These are the kinds of plays that make TJ McConnell so special and crucial to the Pacer’s success, and they were smart to sign him to a multi-year deal when they brought him to Indiana.

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