How T.J. McConnell's low center of gravity helps him make plays for the Indiana Pacers
If you watch the Indiana Pacers, you've certainly seen T.J. McConnell drive to the basket. He does so often — 12.7 times per game, in fact — to create shots for the Pacers second unit. Getting into the paint is how he impacts games.
McConnell drives more often than nearly any NBA ball handler. Out of all players who average less than 29 minutes per game, McConnell leads the league in drives per game. He is the only person who plays fewer than 24 minutes per game that attacks the paint more than 10 times per game, and he does it nearly 13 times every outing. McConnell is just ahead of talents like Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Edwards, and CJ McCollum on the drives per game list. The Pacers guard has an elite ability to put pressure on the rim.
The unique part of McConnell's ability is how he is able to get to the rim so easily. He isn't the most athletic player in the league, and while he has grown tremendously as a shooter, he rarely can leverage the threat of an outside jumper and turn it into paint pressure. Instead, McConnell relies on his own technique, distinctive style, and tenacity to get by defenders and skate into the lane.
Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield has been investigating McConnell because he wants to know how the six-foot-one-inch guard can get by essentially anyone. Hield, like most players, wants to copy McConnell's secrets. But he can't.
"I've been studying him. I've been watching him and I figured it out. He's little and he's quick. He's very deceptive with his moves, it's hard to time," Hield said Friday night. Hield is skilled but only drives to the basket 6.0 times per game. "His low center of gravity is just lower than everybody and he just gets under defenders and he just goes by them with a quick burst of speed... he's the best in the league at it," Hield added.
Hield was fielding questions about McConnell for a few minutes after a special Friday night performance. The Pacers beat the Thunder that night, and McConnell finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. He drove to the basket a whopping 29 times in the game, and that allowed him to be an engine for Indiana's offense.
"We expect that from him," Indiana center Jalen Smith said after the game.
The Pacers won his minutes by 16 points as they snapped a four-game losing streak. McConnell did it all.
"Just trying to get downhill, honestly, and see what the defense was giving me," he said after the game. "When I got down there, overhelps, just trying to kick it out and create the ball movement on offense. And if they stayed home, looking to score. So just trying to do both."
McConnell noted that his teammates, such as Hield, attract attention from defenses with their shooting ability, and that makes it easier for him to get downhill and attack from his spots. The space on the court is vital for the veteran.
But it goes both ways. Defenders also have to stay glued to their matchup, and alert, when McConnell has the ball because he could whip a pass to their man at any time. If he gets into the paint, a defender may need to help. For a player who typically isn't considered a scorer, McConnell does command a lot of attention.
"It's tough to guard him because a lot of teams give up those midrange shots or those layups contested at the rim and he hits those at an unbelievable percent," Pacers rookie point guard Andrew Nembhard said. He is learning the importance of getting to his spots from McConnell.
Nembhard, like Hield, would love to be able to copy McConnell's ability to slither past his man and get to the rim. But if it was easy to emulate, anybody would do it. Few actually can because they don't have McConnell's low center of gravity.
"Some of the stuff that he does is tough to copy because of his size. He's low to the ground, he's quick. He's good with seeing guys thinking he's about to reset the game and then just go right back to the rim," Nembhard said. McConnell has mastered the fake-retreat move. "He's one of those guys, people keep going under screens and he's still getting into the paint. So it's like, not much you can do about it at this point," the rookie added before noting with a smile that he locks up McConnell in practice.
McConnell is shooting 53.4% from the field after driving to the basket this season. He passes out of 52% of his rim attacks and generates 1.5 assists per game in that manner. He only turns the ball over 6.6% of the time in these situations. All of the numbers show that McConnell is one of the best drivers in the NBA.
His low center of gravity and tenacity make it all happen. Opponents can't stay in front of him, and McConnell keeps Indiana's second unit afloat as a result — the Pacers bench would struggle to score without him.
"He's always been savvy. Nobody gives him enough credit," Hield said. On Friday night, as the Pacers snapped a losing streak, McConnell showed off the savvy, low-to-the-ground play and earned himself high praise.
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