The Indiana Pacers will undergo some big changes to their point guard spot next season, but T.J. McConnell will continue playing his role and should keep thriving for the team.
After suffering a devastating Achilles injury during Game 7 of the NBA Finals, star guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss all of next season. In his place, the Pacers will slide Andrew Nembhard over to the point guard role full-time. Additionally, Indiana is expected to move Bennedict Mathurin in the starting lineup and share the backcourt with his fellow Canadian native.
While this is not ideal, there are still reasons to be excited about the Pacers' outlook. This is especially true given that this means McConnell will still be the team's primary backup point guard and will continue carving out second units.
The Pittsburgh native has been crucial to Indiana's success over the past couple of years, and that will continue to be the case next season. As the Pacers look to remain competitive and potentially go on another deep playoff run despite many anticipating a gap year, McConnell will be a player to keep an eye on.
The Pacers still have a big point guard problem
With Haliburton out for the year and Nembhard in the starting lineup, the Pacers' point guard options have taken a big hit. Normally, Haliburton would be the main guy, and Nembhard would be able to take some of the pressure off of him. This is where McConnell being the primary backup provided a huge boost. However, things are going to be different in Indiana next season, and they need to figure that out.
Recently, head coach Rick Carlisle made it clear that the team is not expecting Nembhard to play a ton of minutes in order to "protect" him. Because of this, it is going to be crucial for them to rely on a third point guard as McConnell is 33 years old. Who it will be remains to be seen, but the Pacers do have some solid internal options with potential.
As it stands, rookie Kam Jones is the most likely candidate for Indiana's third point guard spot. He is on a standard contract, looked solid in summer league, and has a lot of potential to be a big contributor next season. Additionally, the Pacers also have RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson to keep an eye on, though they are both on two-way deals.
Regardless of what the Pacers decide, they should feel confident knowing that McConnell will be able to stay in his role. He has come up big numerous times for the team in recent years, and he will look to do the same next year. It remains to be seen how much he can contribute with a worse second unit, but he has a track record of exceeding expectations, and he should be able to do so once again.