BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

T.J. McConnell Figured The Indiana Pacers Out. Now, He’s A Critical Part Of The Team’s Success

Following
This article is more than 4 years old.

T.J. McConnell looked like a new family puppy when the Indiana Pacers season was in its early stages.

He ran around unaware of where all the furniture was. He bumped into everything and looked unfamiliar with his surroundings as he adjusted to something new for the first time in his career. Occasionally, he would produce something stinky. It’s what new puppies do.

Now McConnell is acclimated to his new home, and he has become one of the most important parts of the Pacers’ second unit. His relationship with his teammates allows him to be a connector between players as the ball zips around, and his high basketball-IQ gives him the ability to create points whenever he wants. He’s the ideal reserve floor general.

That turnaround — from being a ball of aimless energy to the reserve unit glue — came in large part due to growing chemistry as the season evolved. “Getting familiar with the guys [helped with the turnaround],” McConnell said. “We started off 0-3 and then kind of turned a corner and just took off.”

McConnell didn’t stop there, and it wasn’t just him that grew. It takes time for any roster, especially an overhauled one like the Pacers, to gel. McConnell praised everyone for getting on the same page and helping with his effectiveness. “Credit to the coaching staff and our players,” he said. “Just kind of coming together, forming that chemistry and running with it.”

Early-season McConnell was not a winning basketball player. In the Pacers’ first four games, the former Arizona Wildcat averaged just 3.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. Indiana never once outscored their opponent with him on the floor in that quartet of games. He wasn’t useless, but there were questions about whether or not McConnell should even be in the rotation.

Then, he exploded. November opened with a six assist game from the backup point guard and the Pacers smashed the Cavaliers with him on the floor. One week later, he dropped a season-high 17 points in a close win over the Pistons. Indiana went from 0-3 to 4-4 as McConnell figured out how to read his teammates and keep the bench rolling.

As the season has grown, so has McConnell. Every game he shows his connection with someone new. Just last week, in the Pacers 37th game, he assisted Myles Turner twice in the same game, a connection that has been rare this season:

That game was also McConnell’s only start of the season, and he proved he can lead the starting five when called upon. Add that to the list of things he can do for his team. When Malcolm Brogdon was asked about McConnell after Indiana beat the 76ers earlier this month, Brogdon called him one of the more underrated players in the NBA. “I think he’s one of the most underrated players in the league,” said Brogdon. “We’re lucky to have him.”

Something else that McConnell does for his team is something Pacers Head Coach Nate McMillan discusses frequently: he sets the tempo. Often after his team wins, McMillan will comment that he liked the team’s “tempo.” After Indiana’s final preseason game against the Timberwolves, McMillan mentioned that he “liked the energy and tempo that [McConnell] brought to the floor.”

Indiana’s Head Coach defined tempo and what it means to him, a former point guard, recently. “Controlling the game. Getting the tempo we want to play,” McMillan explained. “As far as offensively — playing early or playing late. Getting us organized. Defensively — getting pressure, keeping the ball in front. Those are the things we talk about when we say ‘establishing that tempo’.”

McConnell is nearly the player embodiment of that quote. On offense, he can break into the defense basically whenever he wants — early or late in the possession. He never lets the speed of a set escape him. On defense, he’s a pest. He contains opposing ball handlers 94 feet from the basket and refuses to get beat. The 6’1” guard does a great job of establishing whatever “tempo” the coaching staff asks him to set.

McConnell has something else he considers tempo, though. He thinks there is an energy element to it as well. “That’s kind of what I think when Nate says ‘tempo’ — it’s coming in and [creating] some energy, creating a spark,” he said. “Get the guys moving side to side and up and down and get the game moving faster.”

Regardless of which definition of tempo you use, the Pacers coach and backup point guard clearly have a connection. McConnell plays at whatever speed McMillan requests of him; he holds his coach’s opinion in high regard. “He really knows what he is talking about and I respect the heck out of him,” McConnell said of his Head Coach.

Another factor in that relationship is that Nate McMillan played point guard when he himself was a player. That makes Nate’s messages and tempo requests more meaningful to McConnell. “He played for Seattle — one team — for forever. And he did it at a high level. So when you hear [that] guy want you to push the tempo, you really listen,” McConnell said. Then, to make his point clear, he said it again with more emphasis. “You REALLY listen.”

Maybe that listening comes from McConnell’s “coach’s son” background. But that listening is also indicative of who McConnell is as a player — someone who absorbs knowledge, learns, and gains chemistry with whoever he is interacting with.

That’s how he gets better as the season evolves, and that is how he helps the Indiana Pacers win games. It took T.J. McConnell a bit of time, but once he established trust with his teammates and coaches, he took the Pacers bench, and team, to new heights.

Follow me on TwitterCheck out my website