T.J. McConnell: The Next Generation of Great Point Guards?

Pure point guard. You hear the term so often in today's NBA, but what does it even mean? Is it a ball distributor who looks for the pass first, and all else later? If so, then you could say Ben Simmons is a "pure point guard" despite the fact that he's 6'10" and may not even play point guard in a real game. Is it an offensive facilitator, who does what is necessary for his team to score points? That may sound like the same thing, but the difference between the two is the distributor proactively looks to get his teammates good looks at the basket on every possession, while the facilitator allows his teammates to by default get good looks by being an active threat. If a "pure point guard" is an offensive facilitator, then you could call Stephen Curry one of the purest in the business, despite the fact that he often takes deep jumpers off the dribble. Is a pure point guard someone who CAN do it all, but chooses to work his teammates into the offense whenever he can? One example a lot of people have brought up is Chris Paul, and he more than likely falls closer to that last example. When I asked the public about this, I got responses like "always looks for the pass, selective shooting" (first example), "able to lead a team on both sides of the floor...able to distribute and shoot as well as defend." (second example), and "runs the floor, sets up teammates, takes care of the ball" (closer to the first example). The most common player comparisons were Chris Paul, John Wall, Rajon Rondo, John Stockton, Steve Nash, Mike Conley, Tony Parker, and Damian Lillard (listed in order of most mentioned). Why am I asking this question? Well, because there is a young man playing for Philadelphia that just may be the exact definition of "pure point guard". T.J. McConnell is one of the most willing and talented passers in the game, shot nearly 35% from long range in his rookie season, and was 10th in the league in steals per 48 minutes last season (espn.com). But, since I know the burden of proof is on me to provide adequate statistics and observations in order for you to join me as a McConnell believer, I will certainly not stop there.

Another trait of a real pure point guard is "someone who can make every pass with ease". If you need proof that McConnell can do that, watch the video I will end this article with. If having the "ability to pass from anywhere, selective 3pt shooting and arsenal of mid range moves to get off shots" is also a key part, then McConnell fits that bill as well. He shot nearly 52% from within 16 feet last season, and despite being a solid long range shooter, attempted less than a fifth of his shots from long range. For reference, Kemba Walker (a career 33.4% three point shooter) has attempted more than 30% of his shots from three in his career. McConnell also has stats that top some of those "pure point guards" that were mentioned the most. McConnell finished 6th in the NBA in assists per 48 minutes, ahead of guys like Tony Parker, Damian Lillard, and Mike Conley. He also finished in the top 15 in assist/turnover ratio for point guards while guys like John Wall fell to the 20s. (courtesy of espn.com). McConnell also finished in the top 10 in assist percentage and finished above the Devensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard in steal percentage (basketball-reference.com). Sounds to me like McConnell's numbers and style fit perfectly with the "passing and defense" mold of a pure point guard. And if guys like CP3 and John Wall can be All-Stars and elite players, why not T.J.? Let's just say, for argument's sake, that McConnell continues to improve and eventually (say his 3rd or 4th season) gets in a situation where he is playing 28-32 minutes per game consistently. That's a feasible start to McConnell's career path, and it also happens to match Kyle Lowry's early career almost exactly. You can make the argument that McConnell was three years older than Lowry when he came into the league, but if you compare ages, you have to make a note of the following. Lowry averaged 13.5 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per 36 minutes in his age 23 season, with many years of NBA experience already. In McConnell's rookie season (also his age 23 season), he averaged 11.1 points, 8.2 assists and 5.6 rebounds per 36 minutes (courtesy of basketball-reference.com). If Lowry went on to be a an All-Star, what is stopping T.J. McConnell from ascending to that height?

Earlier in the article, I promised that I would show you a video that proves just how good T.J. McConnell has already become. Not being one to disappoint, here is that video...

Enjoy. If you agree, disagree, or just have a comment in general, drop that in the comments section or on my Twitter account, @hoover__26. Thanks!