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'Best backup point guard in the NBA': How TJ McConnell went from benched to indispensable

INDIANAPOLIS -- T.J. McConnell entered the third quarter of Thursday's game with a clear understanding of his assignment.

The Pacers' energy, especially on the defensive end, had divebombed after what statistically was one of their best halves of the season. They gave up just 43 points to the last-place Pistons in the first two quarters, but they were in the middle of giving up 45 in the third in what Pacers coach Rick Carlisle called "an obvious loss of concentration."

So McConnell, the Pacers' gritty veteran point guard was asked to wake everybody up.

After the Pistons cut what had been a 31-point Pacers advantage to 15, McConnell noticed All-Star Tyrese Haliburton running into a double team on a pick and roll near the low block, so he cut up to the top of the key, caught a pass in motion, knifed into the paint with one dribble and pulled up from just inside the foul-line to knock down one of those 8-foot jumpers he never seems to miss.

On the ensuing possession he got caught up in an early ball screen, but never gave up on the play. He switched on to Pistons 6-7, 215-pound wing Troy Brown Jr. Brown tried to drive on the 6-1, 190-pound McConnell, but McConnell kept Brown in front of him down to the low block and stripped him of the ball right before Brown was about to go up for a shot. McConnell turned that steal into an immediate fast break and threw a perfectly-executed lob to high-flying rim runner Obi Toppin for a left-handed jam.

Feb 22, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) and forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrate in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) and forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrate in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Pacers gave up a 3-pointer to rookie guard Marcus Sasser on the next possession, but McConnell's energy seemed to have permeated the team by then, as rookie Ben Sheppard drove baseline for a dunk and swung on the rim and center Isaiah Jackson followed with an and-1. The Pacers beat the Pistons 129-115 in their first game after the All-Star break, improving to 32-25 and holding on to the important sixth position in the Eastern Conference standings.

That sequence was part of what has become an almost standard performance for McConnell, who began this season technically out of the rotation but has maintained his position as one of the Pacers' most indispensable players. On Thursday night he played just 18 minutes but scored 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting, hit a rare pair of 3-pointers, dished out five assists against one turnover, grabbed six rebounds and two steals and even blocked a shot.

"T.J.'s been huge," Haliburton said. "He did a great job of keeping our second unit going, the ball moving, and just doing what he does. T.J.'s the best backup point guard in the NBA. He changes games.”

When the season began, McConnell seemed to be the odd man out. The Pacers had added a top defender and secondary ball-handler in Bruce Brown in free agency. That meant Andrew Nembhard would move from starting at shooting guard to playing point guard, his natural position, on the second unit. That meant there was no role for McConnell, who played just six minutes in a blowout win over Washington in the season opener.

But in the second game, Carlisle found that he needed him for almost 19 minutes against the Cavaliers. He posted eight points and eight assists, and that began what his been the most productive season in McConnell's career on a per-minute basis.

McConnell is averaging 17.3 minutes, 8.4 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 53.9% from the floor. He's averaging 17.0 points and 11.1 assists per 36 minutes, both career highs. None of the Pacers' guards are shooting a higher percentage from the floor and only Haliburton, the NBA's leader in assists per game, is averaging more assists per 36 minutes.

Feb 22, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

McConnell's 5.4 assists per game in bench appearances put him second behind Golden State's Chris Paul in assists among players who have come off the bench at least 20 times.

"I just really was focused on whether if I'm in the lineup or I'm not, just remaining professional," McConnell said. "One of those things where you're not trying to do woe-is-me, it's one of those things just to remain a great teammate. “and whether I'm in the rotation or not, just be there for the guys and be a pro and be a good teammate. That's really all I was focused on. When my number's called, just be a professional at that point and go out and do your job. That's really how I looked at it."

He defends ball-handlers for 94 feet, tries to steal every inbounds pass he can and he goes hard off the dribble. He looks for and hits shots within 10 feet of the rim. According to Basketball Reference, he entered Thursday's game shooting a career high 71.4% within 3 feet of the rim. Of his field goal attempts, 65.6% come from within 10 feet. But even as an undersized player, getting close to the rim and the taller players doesn't hold him back because he's simply moving too fast for anyone to block his shot.

"Defensively he's going to bring to the table what he brings every night,” Haliburton said. “We got guys on our roster who need to be paying attention to that.”

The one area where McConnell hasn't been better than last season is outside shooting. He entered Thursday's game 3 of 19 from beyond the arc this season. However, in his first game back from the break he drilled two 3-pointers.

"Obviously, really slow start from 3 this year," McConnell said. "In and out of the lineup and wasn't able to get a rhythm, but just continuing to trust that process, continuing to work with (assistant coach Jenny Bouceck). ... It's really a mindset, honestly. When they go way under (screens) I just gotta shoot it. It's one of those shots that it hurts our team if I don't.”

The Pacers lead the NBA in bench scoring (47.3 points per game) and in bench field goal percentage (.508) but they did lose one of their most productive scorers in sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who came off the bench extensively this season. The second unit will usually have second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin, who started on Thursday with forward Aaron Nesmith out with an ankle sprain. However, they will have to integrate Doug McDermott after his recent trade and the Pacers will likely require more minutes out of rookie Ben Sheppard.

"(McConnell’s) adaptability is the story of his career," Carlisle said. "Undrafted, everybody's betting against him. I remember the story that the first game he suited up here, Nate McMillan said, 'Hey, you're probably going to be in the rotation.' Something happened the first game of the year and then he didn't lose the job for the next three or four years. He's special that way."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs. Pistons: T.J. McConnell keeps second unit going