T.J. McConnellIndiana Pacers · #9
T.J. McConnell is a beloved veteran backup point guard for the Indiana Pacers — a relentless defender, energetic playmaker, and efficient finisher. Undrafted out of Arizona in 2015, he became one of the NBA's most productive reserves and a spark off the bench during Indiana's 2025 NBA Finals run, where he set a Finals record for a bench player.
T.J. McConnell — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades from the DNA model + real production.
Where T.J. McConnell stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
T.J. McConnell — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees T.J. McConnell
Projection = per-minute rate × projected minutes. Rates are recency- and health-weighted, aged along a per-stat curve, and adjusted for live usage/role. No black box — every number shows its work.
T.J. McConnell career stats, season by season
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 81 | 19.8 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 4.5 | .470 | .348 |
| 2016-17 | 81 | 26.3 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 6.6 | .461 | .200 |
| 2017-18 | 76 | 22.4 | 6.3 | 3.0 | 4.0 | .499 | .435 |
| 2018-19 | 76 | 19.3 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 3.4 | .525 | .333 |
| 2019-20 | 71 | 18.7 | 6.5 | 2.7 | 5.0 | .516 | .294 |
| 2020-21 | 69 | 26.0 | 8.6 | 3.7 | 6.6 | .559 | .313 |
| 2021-22 | 27 | 24.1 | 8.5 | 3.3 | 4.9 | .481 | .303 |
| 2022-23 | 75 | 20.3 | 8.7 | 3.1 | 5.3 | .543 | .441 |
| 2023-24 | 71 | 18.2 | 10.2 | 2.7 | 5.5 | .556 | .409 |
| 2024-25 | 79 | 17.9 | 9.1 | 2.4 | 4.4 | .519 | .306 |
| 2025-26 | 56 | 17.2 | 9.4 | 2.2 | 5.1 | .538 | .320 |
| Career | 762 | 20.8 | 7.8 | 2.9 | 5.0 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Indiana Pacers built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of T.J. McConnell
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
A beloved veteran spark plug — relentless defense, energy, and playmaking off the Pacers' bench.
Turning pro
Drafted Undrafted, 2015 as a Guard.
true
A beloved veteran spark plug — relentless defense, energy, and playmaking off the bench.
Chapter
From a basketball family, McConnell went undrafted out of Arizona in 2015 and made it on grit.
Chapter
He became one of the NBA's most productive reserves with Philadelphia and Indiana.
Off the court
- Height
- 6' 1"
- Weight
- 190 lbs
- College
- Arizona
- Experience
- 11th Season
- NBA debut
- 2015
- Draft
- Undrafted, 2015
- Born
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Age
- 34
- Jersey
- #9
McConnell comes from a deep basketball family — his father, Tim, is a longtime coach, his aunt Suzie McConnell-Serio is an Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer, and his siblings played college and pro ball. He married his high-school sweetheart, and that grounded, hard-nosed background shows in his relentless style.
His on-court identity is energy, defense, and playmaking — a 6-foot-1 spark plug who pressures ball-handlers, pushes the pace, distributes (five assists a game), and finishes efficiently inside without needing a jump shot. One of the great undrafted success stories, he is a fan favorite and the heartbeat of Indiana's bench.
A relentless, energetic reserve guard — on-ball defense, pace, and efficient playmaking.
T.J. McConnell — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about T.J. McConnell, answered.
