TJ McConnell Glad to See Another 'Remarkable' Run for Joel Embiid

Before he became a valuable seasoned veteran for the Indiana Pacers, TJ McConnell was working on making a name for himself with the Philadelphia 76ers. As an undrafted prospect out of Arizona in 2015, McConnell was issued an opportunity to play with the Sixers during their rebuild, which is well-known as “The Process.”

Many players came and went in Philadelphia during the “Process” era, and McConnell was one of the very few to stick around.

During his four seasons with the Sixers, McConnell grew close with Philadelphia’s former third-overall pick, Joel Embiid. At the time, Embiid was a high-prized rookie who struggled to stay healthy and even missed his first two seasons in the NBA. Then when Embiid finally debuted in 2016-2017, the center appeared on the court for just 31 games.

Embiid might still deal with his fair share of health concerns during his seventh season playing, but he’s coming off of his healthiest season yet, after appearing in 68 games last year. Once again, Embiid’s been relatively healthy as he’s played in 28 of 36 games so far.

Wednesday’s matchup against McConnell and the Indiana Pacers would’ve marked the 17th straight game Embiid would appear in. Unfortunately, a sore foot from Monday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans led the Sixers to rule out Embiid for the night, which is disappointing news for McConnell, as he believes Embiid gives both teams a boost of energy.

“I feel like, and I’m not just saying this -- when Joel plays -- it brings out the best in everybody on both sides,” said the veteran guard. “I hope he feels better with whatever is bothering him. I saw up close and personal dealing with that foot. I hope it clears up soon.”

While Embiid won’t play on Wednesday night, missing his ninth game of the season, McConnell is happy to see his former teammate get the opportunity to take advantage of better health and grow into one of the most successful players in the game today.

“When I would get a sprained ankle, you know, a minor one, it would be like a little swollen,” McConnell explained. "When (Joel) tweaks his ankle, it’s like a balloon instantly. In the beginning, it would swell up bad. The fact that he’s taking such great care of his body and isn’t missing as much time that’s why he’s playing at the level he is. It’s unbelievable. He’s leading the league in scoring, I’m pretty sure. I mean, it’s remarkable what he’s doing.”

Over the last two seasons, Embiid was regarded as the NBA’s MVP runner-up, coming second to just Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic. This season, Embiid is on a similar path. After leading the league in scoring, averaging 31 points per game last season, Embiid is back on track, putting up 34 points per outing while tacking on ten rebounds, one steal, and two blocks per game.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.