Despite his elite per-minute production, McConnell remains on the outside looking in when it comes to consistent, meaningful playing time. He finished as the 153rd-ranked player in standard formats last season, averaging a career-high 10.3 points to go with 2.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals in just 18.2 minutes per game. He was particularly effective down the stretch of the regular season, scoring double-digits in 15 of the final 16 games. During that span, he also handed out at least six assists on nine separate occasions. While he is one of the better backup options in the NBA, there are no indications his role will change moving forward. Tyrese Haliburton has the starting point guard position locked down and with good reason. If and when he misses time, McConnell typically sees a handful of extra minutes, elevating him to streaming status. Managers don't need to look too hard at McConnell when drafting, however, he should be on just about every watchlist, given his upside in assists and steals. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a four-year, $45 million extension with the Pacers in August of 2024.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
T.J. McConnell Jr. was born in 1992 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played his high school basketball at Chartiers Valley High School in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. His father, Tim, was his head coach. During his 2009-2010 senior season, he averaged 34.2 points, 9.1 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game. That led to first-team all-state honors and the AP naming McConnell the Pennsylvania Class 3A Player of the Year. McConnell's aunt, Suzie McConnell-Serio, was an All-American basketball player at Penn State, Olympic gold medalist and WNBA standout before being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. She later became head coach of the women's team at Duquesne University. Learn more about T.J. McConnell on Instagram (@tjmcconell4). T.J. McConnell spent two years (2010-2012) at Duquesne University before transferring to the University of Arizona, where he spent another two years (2013-2015). As a freshman at Duquesne, McConnell became a productive player almost immediately -- pitching in with 10.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 steals per contest over 32 games, starting 30. He got better as a sophomore and generated 11.4 points, 5.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game. He also started all 31 contests he played. McConnell then sat out a year as part of transferring to Arizona, where he again assumed an important starting role. As a junior, he put up 8.4 points, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game,. McConnell also shot 45.4 percent from the field. Those numbers helped McConnell to the All Pac-12 second team, and the guard was also recognized by the Pac-12 for his defensive play. McConnell's senior season was his best. He scored 10.4 points and sent out 6.3 assists per contest, numbers that helped make him make the All Pac-12 first team. He also snagged 2.2 steals per contest. By the time he graduated and declared for the NBA draft in 2015, McConnell had played in 139 games of collegiate basketball, dishing out 751 career assists, collecting 324 total steals. His 324 NCAA steals currently (March, 2020) rank 24th in all-time.
Extended by Indiana
GIndiana Pacers
August 30, 2024
The Pacers signed McConnell to a four-year, $45 million extension Friday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS McConnell is coming off a career year in 2023-24, as he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 18.2 minutes across 71 regular-season appearances, including four starts. The 31-year-old guard was a crucial factor in the Pacers' run to the Eastern Conference Finals and is set to be the long-term backup point guard to Tyrese Haliburton.
2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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Advanced Stats
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Stat Review
How does T.J. McConnell compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
58.6%
Effective Field Goal %
57.2%
3-Point Attempt Rate
7.4%
Free Throw Rate
10.5%
Offensive Rebound %
3.1%
Defensive Rebound %
13.7%
Total Rebound %
8.4%
Assist %
42.3%
Steal %
2.4%
Block %
0.5%
Turnover %
9.6%
Usage %
0.0%
Fantasy Points Per Game
23.6
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.3
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Total
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NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Pacers Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when T.J. McConnell was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
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After an injury-riddled season in 2021-22, McConnell was able to play in 75 games last year, seeing 20.3 minutes per game. In that time, he averaged 8.7 points, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals. His upside in steals and assists alone warrants attention in fantasy leagues. The Pacers are a team on the rise, having added Bruce Brown and Obi Toppin to their lineup. Brown could very well move straight into the starting lineup, pushing Buddy Hield or Bennedict Mathurin to the bench. This could result in some overcrowding in the backcourt, meaning McConnell could be squeezed into a reduced role. He should remain a nice streaming consideration at times throughout the season, but as for sustainable value, that window appears to have slammed shut.
McConnell missed a significant portion of the 2021-22 season due to a wrist injury suffered in early December. However, he returned for three games to close the season, flashing his streaming appeal in the process. With the Pacers rebuilding for the future, it is unclear how much they intend to use McConnell. However, even if he can carve out a 20-minute role, he could flirt with top-200 value. His ability to contribute assists and steals in limited minutes also puts him firmly in the streaming conversation.
The scrappy point guard is coming off of a strong 2020-21 season in which he led the league in total steals (128) and ranked second in steals per game (1.9). That category alone propelled McConnell to the best fantasy campaign of his career, but he also chipped in 6.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting a career-best 55.9 percent from the field. The one major knock on McConnell is that he doesn't shoot threes -- he's made only 20 over the last two seasons -- but the lack of an outside game preserves his elite field goal percentage -- especially by point guard standards. McConnell could take a slight step back this season if Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert are able to stay healthy. The Pacers also added another NBA-ready guard in Chris Duarte via the draft, so McConnell likely won't reach last season's workload (26.0 per game) on a nightly basis.
McConnell's role as an assist-heavy backup point guard continued in 2019-20, as he occupied a reserve role behind starter Malcolm Brogdon. In his 18.7 minutes per game, McConnell averaged 6.5 points on 51.6 percent shooting, 5.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 combined steals-plus-blocks. The continued knock on his game is a lack of scoring, partially fueled by a next-to-non-existent three-point shot (17 total attempts last season). That said, he's able to retain some value in deep fantasy leagues due to his excellent passing and shooting efficiency -- from the field and from the charity stripe (83.3 free throw percentage). Nothing much is expected to change in 2020-21, so he's probably avoidable in shallow fantasy formats.
Following four productive seasons in Philadelphia, McConnell has taken his talents to Indiana on a two-year contract. After spending 2017-18 as the 76ers' as the primary backup to Ben Simmons at point guard, the arrival of Jimmy Butler as a capable floor leader resulted in McConnell taking a reduced role in 2018-19, and the 19.3 minutes played per game was the lowest mark of the point guard's young career. His production last season, however, was still on par with his career averages, and he did shoot a career-high 52.5 percent from the field. On the Pacers, McConnell's role is up in the air, as he will be competing with fellow point guard Aaron Holiday for the backup spot behind expected starter Malcolm Brogdon. While Holiday has shown some promise and is more familiar with the Pacers' scheme, McConnell is the more experienced player, and one that's racked up valuable playing minutes. Ultimately, as a true backup, McConnell is probably only worth exploring as a fantasy option in deep formats.
With Ben Simmons making his career debut and getting the bulk of his minutes at point guard, McConnell wound up seeing a decreased role in the backcourt in Year 3. He averaged 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals across 22.4 minutes, all of which were slightly smaller numbers than a year prior. McConnell did show some semblance of a three-point stroke with his impressive 43.5 percent clip from deep, though it's worth it to note that he did take just 62 total attempts for the year, which lessens the impact that the number had. Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, McConnell is likely looking at a similar, if not smaller, role in the backcourt. Both Simmons and J.J. Redick are back and likely to start at the two guard spots, while former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz is expected to play in his first full season after being limited to just 14 games last year. As a result, there's likely less playing time for McConnell overall. If McConnell draws a spot start due to an injury, he'll be someone to consider for DFS purposes, but otherwise, he can be safely avoided in most leagues.
For two seasons in a row, the once undrafted McConnell survived a camp where he might have been cut, and then worked his way into a significant role in the rotation. As a rookie, he averaged 19.8 minutes, 6.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals. As a sophomore, he increased those totals to 26.3 minutes, 6.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.7 steals. He missed only one game each season. McConnell has established himself as a trustworthy backup, and should have no difficulty making the 2017-18 roster, but he’ll face a whole new challenge this year. After the 76ers drafted Markelle Fultz first overall this summer, and with the pending healthy return of veteran Jerryd Bayless and 2016 first overall pick Ben Simmons – who the 76ers have said they want to use as a part-time point guard – McConnell faces the deepest and most talented depth chart he’s seen in his career. If everyone stays healthy above him, he has almost no chance of repeating even his rookie season usage.
As an undrafted rookie out of Arizona, McConnell defied the odds to break camp with the 76ers, opening the season as the team’s No. 2 point guard. He would end up holding down that role all season thanks to his defensive toughness and abilities as a distributor. McConnell finished with averages of 6.1 points, 4.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 19.8 minutes per game in his 81 appearances, with his steal total ranking first among all rookies. Though McConnell’s contract isn’t guaranteed for the upcoming season, he proved himself to be a capable reserve in his first year in the league and looks like a lock to make the roster. Though he’ll again open the season as the top backup point guard, this time behind offseason pickup Jerryd Bayless, McConnell could see his overall responsibilities diminish in 2016-17. Along with acquiring Bayless, the 76ers bolstered their roster through the draft with No. 1 overall choice Ben Simmons, who will see most of his time at power forward but is advanced as a ball-handler and passer and could run the offense for extended stretches.
More Fantasy News
Decent output in Game 4 loss
GIndiana Pacers
May 27, 2024
McConnell provided 15 points (7-16 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, four assists and one steal across 25 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Shines off bench despite loss
GIndiana Pacers
May 26, 2024
McConnell notched 23 points (10-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and one steal in 29 minutes during Saturday's 114-111 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Top distributor off bench in Game 7
GIndiana Pacers
May 19, 2024
McConnell finished with 12 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), seven assists, two rebounds, one block and one steal over 23 minutes in Sunday's 130-109 win over New York in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
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Productive despite limited minutes
GIndiana Pacers
May 18, 2024
McConnell supplied 15 points (7-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, four assists and one steal in 16 minutes during Friday's 116-103 win over the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
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Shines off bench in Game 1 loss
GIndiana Pacers
May 6, 2024
McConnell finished with 18 points (9-16 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three assists, three steals and one rebound over 22 minutes in Monday's 121-117 loss to New York in Game 1 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Pacers not interested in moving him
GIndiana Pacers
May 27, 2024
The Pacers have received proposals centered around McConnell, but the team is not interested in moving him during the offseason, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports.
ANALYSIS The Suns were one of the teams that tried to acquire McConnell during the regular season, but the Pacers weren't, and aren't, interested in moving their backup point guard. McConnell is a valuable member of Indiana's bench, and he has one year left on a team-friendly contract that will pay him $9.3 million next season. Plus, his leadership and playmaking off the bench are two things the Pacers would have a hard time replacing if they were to accept offers for the veteran floor general.