When you think of who might be some of LeBron James’ favorite players in the NBA, T. J. McConnell certainly wouldn’t have been someone that came to your mind. It turns out, though, that James really likes the Indiana Pacers guard.
“One of my favorite players in the NBA right now is T.J. McConnell,” James said on his Mind the Game podcast. “T.J. McConnell… he’s like Draymond (Green) as a point guard.”
That’s quite some praise for McConnell. Not only did LeBron call him one of his favorite players, but he also compared him to Draymond Green, a four-time All-Star and a former Defensive Player of the Year. McConnell was asked about James’ comments after practice on Thursday, and he was understandably pleased to hear them.
“Yeah, I saw it. Obviously very humbling,” McConnell said. “Him noticing what we’re doing here. All of it wouldn’t be possible without my teammates.”
(starts at 7:45 mark):
McConnell is enjoying a fine 2023-24 season with the Pacers, as the 32-year-old is averaging 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game off the bench in 2023-24 for the Pacers. He is setting a new career-high for scoring and is in the midst of arguably the best scoring stretch of his career at present.
McConnell has scored in double digits in 13 of his last 14 games, which includes two solid performances against LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran had 17 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal in the first meeting and then recorded 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in the second one.
The Pacers narrowly lost that first game but gained some revenge by winning the next one. That victory kick-started a run of five wins in the last six games, which has seen them improve to 46-34 on the season.
McConnell has played his part in this recent good stretch for the Pacers, and Tyrese Haliburton stated that every team would love to have a player like him when asked about James’ comments. I am sure LeBron would like to see McConnell in a Lakers uniform.
He signed a four-year, $33.6 million deal in 2021, though, and is under contract for next season, too. So, if LeBron wants McConnell on the Lakers, he’ll either have to wait a year or have the team trade for him. The Pacers wouldn’t be all that interested in letting him go, though.
LeBron James Explained Why Stephen Curry Is A Big Problem To Deal With
Let’s now transition to another point guard that LeBron had some high praise for during this episode, Stephen Curry. James spoke on what makes Curry such a big problem.
“The ball is not the problem with Steph Curry. He’s the **** problem. Steph is most dangerous when he doesn’t have the ball, which is not, it’s not many guys all time in our league that’s most dangerous without the ball.”
“I’ve been in more than enough wars with those guys. More than enough. I understand it. So, I get it. I come from a different point of view, POV. But when Steph decides to cut inside the lane, don’t relax. He’s coming back up.”
“He’s coming back up, but you have to have, that’s reps and reps and reps and reps of actually guarding something that’s uncomfortable. Guarding Steph is uncomfortable. And the problem with our guys in our league, they’re not comfortable with being uncomfortable. And that’s why Steph and Golden State will always be relevant because they play an uncomfortable style of play.”
The “Curry problem” is something that LeBron and the Lakers might soon have to deal with. As things stand, the Lakers are the 10th seed in the West with a 45-35 record, while the Warriors are just a spot above them with an identical record. We might see these two face off in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and it would be a spectacle.
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