Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Delivers full line in loss
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McConnell amassed 14 points (7-10 FG), one rebound, six assists, one block and three steals across 17 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 loss to the Nuggets.
McConnell chipped in across all the major categories, continuing his recent strong play. In seven games over the past two weeks, McConnell is averaging 11.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.7 steals in just 18.6 minutes per game, good enough for top-70 value. While his role is seemingly capped at about 25 minutes, that is generally enough for him to have solid 12-team value.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Limited to six minutes Monday
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Head coach Rick Carlisle said after Monday's 135-119 loss to the Cavaliers that McConnell experienced some general soreness following last weekend's back-to-back set, Tony East of Forbes.com reports. He was limited to six minutes, finishing with four points (2-3 FG), one rebound, one assist and one steal.
Although McConnell felt fine while going through pregame warmups, he wasn't feeling right when the game started, so Carlisle opted to hold him out. Carlisle maintained that McConnell wasn't dealing with a specific injury, so it sounds like he'll be fine for Wednesday's matchup with the Nuggets. Still, his status will be worth monitoring, and the Pacers are expected to provide an update by Tuesday night.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Scores team-high 16 points
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McConnell recorded 16 points (8-17 FG, 0-4 3Pt), seven rebounds and six assists in 24 minutes during Wednesday's 97-95 loss to Toronto.
McConnell continues to trend in the right direction, having now played at least 22 minutes in two straight games. In that span, he has averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals. While this is likely his ceiling in terms of playing time, he has a knack for contributing across multiple categories, even in limited minutes, making him a worthwhile fantasy asset, even in standard formats.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Logs season-high 22 minutes
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McConnell totaled 16 points (8-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt), one rebound, five assists and three steals over 22 minutes during Monday's 122-117 loss to Detroit.
McConnell acknowledged during a recent interview that getting back from the hamstring injury was tougher than expected, but he feels like he's finally rounding into form. He logged a season high in minutes Monday night and looked fantastic while he was out there. If McConnell can consistently earn minutes in the mid-20s, he could easily be a fantasy contributor due to his upside in assists and steals.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Scores 10 points off bench
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McConnell supplied 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 3Pt), three rebounds, four assists and one steal across 17 minutes during Friday's 120-109 loss to the Cavaliers.
McConnell has made six appearances this season, and the veteran floor general has found a way to make an impact. This was his second straight outing with double-digit points, and his fantasy value will be limited to what he can do in categories such as points, assists and three-pointers. On that note, McConnell is averaging 8.3 points and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from deep, although in a limited sample size of six games off the bench and a mere 1.7 attempts per contest.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Drops 14 points in 14 minutes
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McConnell contributed 14 points (6-6 FG, 2-2 3Pt), six rebounds and eight assists in 14 minutes during Wednesday's 127-118 win over the Hornets.
McConnell was very productive in his 14 minutes, and although he is still in a ramp-up plan after missing the first 10 games of the season, it is encouraging to see him perform well in limited action. Once he is cleared for heavier workloads, McConnell could be a viable fantasy asset due to his ability to rack up stats quickly.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Logs 15 minutes off the bench
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McConnell contributed zero points (0-4 FG), two assists, one rebound and one steal in 15 minutes during Monday's 127-112 loss to the Pistons.
McConnell's minutes have been hovering in the teens, and as the 10th man in the rotation, it's tough for him to make much of an impact in fantasy leagues. If he could work his way into a 30-minute role, he would be an intriguing asset due to his upside in steals and dimes, but there are no guarantees that will happen.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Ramp-up continues in loss
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McConnell closed with nine points (4-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), one rebound and four assists over 16 minutes during Saturday's 129-111 loss to the Raptors.
McConnell continues to ramp up his playing time. logging 16 minutes in the loss. His production has been adequate thus far, although it's hard to get a read on what his ceiling might be, given the team's struggles. While his overall game translates well to fantasy, there is a chance he could be limited to around 22 minutes per game, even when he is back to full health.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Excels in limited minutes in debut
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McConnell (hamstring) tallied 12 points (6-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt), one rebound and one assist across 11 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's 152-128 loss to the Jazz.
Cleared to make his season debut after missing Indiana's first 10 games while recovering from the left hamstring strain he sustained during the preseason, McConnell was limited to two shifts off the bench in the first and second quarters before sitting out the entire second half. The Jazz had built up a 20-point advantage by the middle of the third quarter, which may have been a factor in head coach Rick Carlisle's decision to hold McConnell out for the remainder of the night. The veteran point guard has historically been a strong per-minute source of steals and assists, but he uncharacteristically made his biggest impact as a scorer during his time on the court Tuesday. McConnell should see his playing time pick up a bit in his next few appearances, but even with Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the season, McConnell may not be in line for a regular 20-plus-minute role while the Pacers have installed Andrew Nembhard as their full-time starting point guard for 2025-26.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Available to make season debut
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McConnell (hamstring) is available for Tuesday's game against the Jazz.
After missing Indiana's first 10 regular-season games due to a strained left hamstring he sustained during the preseason, McConnell will make his season debut against Utah. While the Pacers haven't confirmed whether the veteran point guard will operate under a specific minutes restriction, head coach Rick Carlisle said the team will monitor his playing time, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Questionable for Tuesday
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McConnell (hamstring) is questionable for Tuesday's game in Utah, Jeremiah Johnson of FanDuel Sports Network Indiana reports.
Pacers' head coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday that McConnell was ramping up his workload and nearing his regular-season debut. Tuesday will mark the first time he has received a questionable tag since going down with the hamstring injury in the preseason. McConnell will likely have a minutes restrictions over his first handful of games, but once he's fully up to speed, he is expected to see a sizable role on this Indiana team that is desperate for a playmaker.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Nearing season debut
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Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday that McConnell (hamstring) is "getting closer" to making his season debut, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports. "He's been ramping up pretty steadily," Carlisle said of McConnell, who is recovering from a left hamstring strain.
Though Carlisle didn't offer up a target date for when McConnell might be able to play, the veteran point guard could be day-to-day rather than week-to-week at this stage of his rehab process. With Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the season, McConnell will likely slide into the rotation as the primary backup to starting point guard Andrew Nembhard once he's deemed ready for game action.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Expected to miss one month
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McConnell (hamstring) is expected to miss at least one month of action, Tony East of WTHR Channel 13 Indianapolis reports.
This is a massive blow for Indiana, as they are already short on ball-handlers with Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the season. With McConnell expected to miss at least a month, his earliest possible return would be on Nov. 11 against the Jazz. The Pacers signed Cameron Payne to a training camp contract Thursday after waiving Delon Wright, and Andrew Nembhard is now likely to see even more ball-handling reps to open the season.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Won't return Tuesday
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McConnell (hamstring) will not return to Tuesday's preseason game against the Timberwolves, Jeremiah Johnson of FanDuel Sports Network Indiana reports.
McConnell went down with the hamstring injury in the second quarter against Minnesota. The veteran guard logged only eight minutes Tuesday, finishing with seven points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal. The next chance for him to return to the floor will be Saturday against the Thunder.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Shines in Game 7 loss
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McConnell registered 16 points (8-13 FG), six rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 28 minutes during Sunday's 103-91 loss to the Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
McConnell was arguably one of Indiana's best players in the NBA Finals after playing a modest role in the regular season -- he averaged 17.9 minutes per night across 79 regular-season contests with 9.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 51.9 percent shooting from the field. McConnell, who has four years and $44.8 million left on his contract, is set to take on a larger role in 2025-26 due to Tyrese Haliburton being sidelined by an Achilles tear he suffered during Game 7.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Shines bright in Game 6 victory
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McConnell finished Thursday's 108-91 win over the Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals with 12 points (6-12 FG, 0-2 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and four steals across 24 minutes.
McConnell stepped up on both ends of the floor, shouldering more of the point guard duties with Tyrese Haliburton limited due to a calf injury. The veteran McConnell has now scored double digits in four of the past five games, while tallying 13 total steals during that time. Although Haliburton will almost certainly be available for Game 7, McConnell will likely be called upon to lighten the load as Indiana looks for its first NBA title.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Supplies 18 points from bench
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McConnell racked up 18 points (8-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two steals in 22 minutes during Monday's 120-109 loss to Oklahoma City in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
McConnell turned in 13 points in the third quarter and kept the Pacers in the hunt alongside Obi Toppin's seven points in the stanza. McConnell's results faded after a solid Game 2 performance against the Thunder, but he bounced back in Game 5 by making plays all over the floor, finishing with postseason highs in points and minutes.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Flirts with double-double in win
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McConnell chipped in 13 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 18 minutes during Sunday's 129-109 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
McConnell turned in a vintage performance, falling just two assists short of a double-double. Even though Tyrese Haliburton was struggling, Indiana cruised to victory, thanks in part to the guard play of McConnell. Although his numbers don't always reflect his effort, McConnell continues to play a key role off the bench, something he will look to continue Tuesday in Game 5.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Impressive in 17 minutes
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McConnell recorded 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes during Tuesday's 119-118 overtime victory over Milwaukee in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Despite seeing just 17 minutes, McConnell had his best game of the playoffs when it mattered the most. Through five games, he's averaging 10.0 points on 55.0 percent shooting with 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 17.6 minutes. It's likely that he maintains a similar role against the Cavaliers in the next round, however, as Andrew Nembhard is also having a terrific postseason.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Makes most of minutes
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McConnell closed with six points (3-8 FG), five rebounds, four assists and two steals across 16 minutes during Tuesday's 123-115 win over the Bucks in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
McConnell, who has been used sparingly behind Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard so far, has certainly made the most of his limited run. Through two games against the Bucks, the veteran guard is averaging 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals in just 15.5 minutes per contest.
