8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

There’s no shortage of players on the free agent market for the Pacers

By Jordan Brandenburg

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 17: The Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations, Kevin Pritchard is introduced to the media during a press conference at the Indiana Pacers Training Facility at St. Vincent Center on December 17, 2018 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 17: The Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations, Kevin Pritchard is introduced to the media during a press conference at the Indiana Pacers Training Facility at St. Vincent Center on December 17, 2018 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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T.J. McConnell vs the Pacers
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 10: T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on March 10, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

T.J. McConnell

Aside from the fact the Floor General has shown the ability to be a reliable backup point, how cool would it be to have three players named T.J. on the same team?

While Ben Simmons recovered from an injury that cost him his initial season, McConnell started in 51 of his 81 appearances in the 2016-17 regular season. The point guard took advantage of the opportunity, finishing the year ranked eighth overall in total assists (534) and sixth in total steals (134). When he was shifted to a bench role despite an efficient campaign the year before, the playmaker continued to show he could create good looks for himself and his teammates.

After playing the least amount of minutes in his four-year career, McConnell averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 assists in just over nineteen minutes on the floor in 2018-19. His shooting efficiency manifested into career-bests in overall field goal percentage (53.5%) percent and true shooting percentage (55.5%). Similar to Rubio, the guard often relied on getting around screens for a high quality look from around the basket; a shot which he was able to score on over sixty-nine percent of his attempts.

McConnell is solid at taking care of the ball too – his 2.84 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked 20th overall among point guards in the league last season. Averaging 10.2 assists to 3.5 turnovers per-100 possessions over his career, the 27-year-old could help efficiently create for the shooters in Indiana’s second unit and allow Holiday to play off the ball if needed.

McConnell is most definitely not anyone’s first choice when it comes to free agent signings, but he can still be a positive impact for a team contending deep into the playoffs.

The backup guard from Philadelphia has some shortcomings that come with him too. 86.3% of his career attempts have come from inside the arc. Prone to settling for a pull-up mid-range jumper or layup off a pick, McConnell doesn’t offer much spacing to a rotation.

Additionally, his listed height of 6’2″ would make a bench backcourt with Holiday (6’1″ listed height) fairly undersized. In the former’s case, this allows bigger players better shot opportunities when switching onto a smaller guard.

Regardless, if the Pacers aren’t able to re-sign Cory Joseph , I think signing the backup for the 76ers would be a solid acquisition that could bridge the gap until Holiday is ready to play meaningful minutes on a nightly basis.

McConnell is most definitely not anyone’s first choice when it comes to free agent signings, but he can still be a positive impact for a team contending deep into the playoffs.

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