INDIANAPOLIS — T.J. McConnell admits that this injury recovery has hit different.
Durability has been a strength for the 33-year-old Pacers backup point guard as he’s missed more than 11 games in a season once in his career. He fractured his right wrist in December of 2021 when he tried to reach in for a steal as then-Hawks center Clint Capela was driving and McConnell didn’t return to the floor until April of 2022. He’s played through some bone and ligament issues, many of which have been the product of his fearless style of play.
The hamstring strain he suffered on Oct. 7 in the Pacers’ first preseason game has been a different animal, however. After missing the last three preseason games and the first 10 regular season games, he’s back on the floor but he’s found the recovery process more gradual in his first seven games. In the last three games, he’s returned to the production level and efficiency that has made him one of the most productive backup point guards in the NBA in recent seasons and a key cog in the Pacers’ playoff runs, but getting there took some adjustment.
“It hasn’t all been positive,” McConnell said Friday after the Pacers’ loss in Cleveland. “I’ve never hurt a muscle before so I think the process getting back has been more difficult than I anticipated just in terms of my wind and my legs. I’m doing everything I can to continue to build that. I think I anticipated some inconsistencies with the flow of the game and my rhythm, but I feel like I’m starting to come in to that.”
McConnell said he feels healed, but also acknowledged that it’s difficult to ramp up when a player loses so much of training camp and has to jump into games on the fly. McConnell and the Pacers were very deliberate about his ramp-up process and making sure he was as game ready as possible before he got on the floor, but there’s a degree to which getting into game shape simply requires playing games.
“I don’t think it’s the hamstring per se,” McConnell said. “Your legs get back to this many games and the rehab process, it’s tough, but I’m up for it.”
There’s clear progress in his numbers. After scoring 12 points on 6 of 12 shooting in his first game back in Utah against the Jazz on Nov. 11, he made just 6 of 23 field goal attempts in his next three games for a combined total of 14 points to go with eight assists. In the three games since that stretch, however, he’s 18 of 24 from the floor (75%) and averaging 13.3 points and 5.7 assists per game.
T.J. McConnell discusses the Pacers’ 120-109 loss to the Cavaliers
T.J. McConnell scored 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting but the Pacers lost 120-109 to the Cavaliers to fall to 2-14 on the season.
He didn’t seem to have quite the same burst on his dribble drives in the early going and frequently had to settle for pull-up jump shots, but in recent games he’s been better a getting to the rim. In Monday’s loss to the Pistons, he scored 16 points on 8 of 12 shooting and five of his eight field goals came within 5 feet of the bucket.
A healthier McConnell has meant a slightly more competitive version of the Pacers, even in the midst of their star-crossed season. Though they are 2-15, one of those wins came since his return and their last two losses against Eastern Conference contenders Detroit and Cleveland were close in the fourth quarter. The Pacers have spent most of the season shuffling lineups due to injuries, but with McConnell running the second unit it seems to be showing more cohesion.
“T.J. is a workhorse,” All-Star forward Pascal Siakam. “He wants to be his best self, but he forgets that he’s a little older and he had a hamstring injury. You want to go out there and just be T.J. right away, but it takes time. I always try to tell him, just be patient with yourself and give yourself grace because we know what you can do, but you can’t rush the process. You’re going to get back. I’m glad to see him blow by people and do what T.J. does, but he’s just getting healthy, right? That’s just what it is.”
On Monday he was blowing by people on offense and also creating havoc on defense with three key steals that were a big part of the Pacers’ comeback. He made one key steal in the backcourt on an inbounds pass — a McConnell specialty — and wrestled away another by fighting with Pistons wing Ausar Thompson on a deep pass and finding a way to stay in bounds to maintain possession. His 22 minutes and 25 seconds were a season high. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle knew he couldn’t push him any further but was thankful for the impact he made.
“He’s of major importance to us because of the energy he brings, how he sparks the crowd at home,” Carlisle said. “He gives his teammates a lift with whatever’s happening, good or bad. He’s just an upbeat guy. It’s pretty clear that he started to feel a lot better and a lot more in rhythm. There’s no NBA player who isn’t a rhythm player on some level. It’s important. He’s worked hard at it. He played great tonight. He kinda got to the point where he was pretty well spent. We have to get him recharged for the next one.”
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.