It was never a doubt that T.J. McConnell was important to the Indiana Pacers' success, and that will be especially true next season. However, star guard Tyrese Haliburton just shed some light on exactly how important he is, making it clear that the Pittsburgh native helped him improve by pushing him in practice.
"I always say that T.J. [McConnell] has helped me become great because in practice every day, most days, in practice I lose. I lose the majority of days in practice because of him. And that’s made me want to be a better player, a better practice player. He’s pushed me in so many different ways," Haliburton said on the Young Man and the Three podcast.
The Pacers signed McConnell away from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019, and he has been an important part of their roster ever since.
McConnell has established himself as one of the best backup point guards in the league due to his pesky and gritty playstyle, as well as his ability to pass and playmake at an elite level. Furthermore, as was made obvious during Indiana's latest playoff run, the 10-year veteran can also step up when the team needs him the most, making him borderline irreplaceable.
With Haliburton on the shelf for all of next season, it is going to be a "next man up" mentality for the Pacers. The team is expected to slide Andrew Nembhard over to point full-time, and McConnell's role as the primary backup will be even more critical.
As the Pacers look to stay afloat and remain competitive next season, they will need a plethora of players to step up. This includes McConnell, who the team needs now more than ever.
The Pacers need T.J. McConnell to continue playing his role
As is the case for Nembhard and plenty of other players on the team, the Pacers are going to hand out different roles to make up for the absences of Haliburton and Myles Turner, who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. This even includes players like Pascal Siakam, who will now become an even bigger part of the team's offense.
However, this does not necessarily apply to McConnell, who is still going to be a backup point guard and will have the same role. This does not mean he won't be more important, though.
With Haliburton gone and Nembhard as the team's starting point guard, Indiana lost a lot of their depth at the position for next season. Plus, if Nembhard struggles, which may be inevitable to start the season as he adjusts to his bigger role, the team will rely much more heavily on McConnell to keep things going.
It is also fair to assume that the Pacers will look into adding a third point guard to the rotation, whether it be Kam Jones, Quenton Jackson, RayJ Dennis, or an external option. Until then, however, the 33-year-old is going to be Indiana's only other point guard, and he will continue to be in charge of a second unit that looks much weaker heading into next season.
The Pacers have a lot of uncertainties as they prepare for what many are calling a "gap year." However, despite their roster and lineup changes, they will still have McConnell doing what makes him great, and that is something that should give the organization and the fanbase some solace.