Trash talking is definitely not the reason why T.J. Mcconnell drives opponents crazy. He’s actually a really nice guy and he only performed for the audience here since he was mic’d up.
So let me explain the real reason why the Pacers guard is possibly the most annoying player in the league. What up everybody my name is Stefan and this is Heat Check. Let’s get into it.
Listed at a generous 6’1’’, he’s one of the shorter players in the league, and when you watch him run, that’s also one of the slower guards in today’s NBA. And the athleticism just, isn’t there okay?
But still, with all that being said, T.J. leads the league in steals per game and this is why.
He is so smart, and hunts these opportunities on inbound passes.
What is usually the most relaxed portion of the possession, getting the ball in play, and taking it cross half court, Mcconnell stays aware and ready during that time, and turns it into a steal, and a bucket.
Against the Bucks just yesterday, Indiana scores, and you can see T.J. already has his mind made up to go for it. Jrue doesn’t expect him, and the pass is lazy as well, which turns into a steal, and the basket counts as it was goaltending. Easy 2 points.
Players always say how the most annoying guys to go against are those pesky defenders who run a lot and force turnovers. And I can only imagine it being even more infuriating when a smaller, slower, less athletic defender steals the ball right in front of their eyes.
And don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking T.J., what he lacks in physical abilities, he makes up for it more than enough with his effort and IQ. Like, when I play I’m always the smallest guy so I strive to be just like him.
And he’s been known for his effort and IQ from his days in Philly. Watch this: He sees the situation, little time left, Kyrie is ready waiting for the pass. So he sprints there, intercepts it, and banks it in for 2 easy and cheap points at the end of the quarter.
Let me share a crazy statistic.
Against the Cavs, Mcconnell had a triple double with steals. Dude had 10 steals, to go along with 13 assists and 16 points on 8 for 8 shooting. Talk about a great night.
But that 10 steal triple double is something that only 5 other players have done in NBA history.
And his game is more than just forcing turnovers.
With 6.5 assists per game not only is T.J. by far the number 1 player when it comes to passing the ball, but he’s actually ranked 17th at the moment in the entire league, in front of high profile point guards like Steph Curry, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Lonzo Ball, Mike Conley, the list goes on and on.
Check this out: A week ago against the Miami Heat he went 8 for 9 from the field which is great, but then also racked up 15 assists. All that in just 29 minutes as a reserve, off the bench.
Players know that he’ll always find them as he’s so unselfish, so Mcconnell is loved by his teammates here in Indiana just as much as he was in his time with the Sixers.
At the end let me just showcase a part of his game that’s kinda funny to me.
T.J. is shooting 55% from the field which is amazing, especially for a smaller guy like him, but the most interesting thing is, he’s not really a shooter like that.
The reason for his efficiency is that he is smart about picking and choosing his opportunities but this is what gets me every time. His signature play.
Mcconnell absolutely loves to weave his way all the way to the baseline on the right side and shoot a fadeaway from there.
Again, continuing with the theme of this video, I assume it’s pretty frustrating to watch a guy go to his spot, and shoot a fadeaway over a taller defender and watch the ball go in every single time.
Look I always say that I love high effort players, but T.J. Mcconnell is on a whole nother level. Plus he’s so unselfish, team oriented, and overall a great teammate. Extremely underrated.
And the fact that he’s able to do so much at that size, in a way makes us-the mere mortals who are watching the games at home live the NBA life through him.
I had a lot of fun making this video for a relatively unknown guy, so hopefully you enjoyed watching. That’s it for now, subscribe and talk to you in the next one. Peace out.