The Indiana Pacers and point guard T.J. McConnell are fresh off of a run to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, they came up just short against the Oklahoma City Thunder and lost Game 7 of the series following star point guard Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles injury.
During the Finals, McConnell became a household name. Everyone in Indiana had already come to love him, but he hadn’t been a name talked about much around the league.
With fans getting to see him on the biggest stage in basketball, McConnell stepped up and played at an incredibly high level.
Throughout the course of the series against the Thunder, McConnell averaged 12 points per game off of the bench to go along with 4.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 steals.
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Now that his name has grown, McConnell is being much more active in the media. Recently, he spoke out with a strong opinion about who the toughest player in the NBA is to guard.
Of course, McConnell is known as a tenacious defender. He wreaks havoc on many opposing guards. However, there is one guard that he has difficulty with in particular.
That guard is none other than Dallas Mavericks’ superstar point guard Kyrie Irving.
During an appearance on the “Christian Kuntz Podcast,” McConnell spoke out with a strong message about Irving.
“Who’s the hardest guy I’ve had to guard? Kyrie Irving,” McConnell said. “The ball’s on a string. You’re on an island, and you just don’t know what he’s gonna do. You could force him one way, but he still ends up getting the way you don’t want him. His handle is impeccable. It’s impeccable. He’s got the greatest handle I’ve seen. He could really shoot it like, he’s fast, it’s just, it’s a tough place to be mentally when you’re when you’re guarding Kyrie.”
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Irving is currently working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered. There is no concrete timetable for his return to the court, but the Mavericks are hoping that he’ll be playing during the 2025-26 season.
All of that being said, McConnell showering Irving with this kind of praise is telling. Irving has been a lethal scorer and ball-handler his entire career.
McConnell and the Pacers will have their work cut out for them during the 2025-26 campaign. Without Haliburton on the court, they’ll have a steep hill to climb to remain as one of the top teams in the NBA.
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