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McConnell getting a shot at point guard

T.J. McConnell knows the 76ers provide the best opportunity for him to become an NBA point guard. That's one of the reasons the undrafted rookie chose the franchise's partially guaranteed deal over 14 other teams' summer league invitations.

T.J. McConnell knows the 76ers provide the best opportunity for him to become an NBA point guard.

That's one of the reasons the undrafted rookie chose the franchise's partially guaranteed deal over 14 other teams' summer league invitations.

But he isn't going out of his way to prove that he can fill the team's glaring need for a pass-first and defensive-minded point guard.

"I don't try to worry myself with that kind of stuff," McConnell said at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where the Sixers were preparing for summer league. "I'm honestly just coming in here to show that I can run a team and play hard.

"I'm not going to try to think outside of the box and be someone I'm not."

The Pittsburgh native and former Arizona standout will get plenty of opportunities to display his skills.

He's a member of the Sixers team in the Utah Jazz Summer League, which runs Monday through Thursday in Salt Lake City. Then the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder will fly to Las Vegas to join the Sixers squad that will participate in the NBA Summer League. The NBA league runs Friday through July 20.

"The first thing that you see from him is that he understands his role," said Sixers assistant Billy Lange, who is coaching the Utah squad. "He understands what he should do as a point guard. He's setting the floor and the table for people. He communicates."

McConnell also has a feel for when a teammate has not touched the ball on a few trips down the court. On those occasions, he immediately thinks: Let me get that player involved.

"In the summer league that's important, because they are just getting to know each other," Lange said. "They want to develop some chemistry. And I think T.J. has a feel for knowing how to do that."

McConnell averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals this past season as a senior. He shot a team-leading 83 percent from the foul line and was a first-team all-Pac 12 selection.

Coach search. The Sixers have yet to hire a replacement for former assistant coach Chad Iske. He left in April to become the Sacramento Kings' associate head coach.

General manager Sam Hinkie said the team was still looking and had "lots of options internally."

One option would be to promote Billy Lange to a top assistant alongside Lloyd Pierce. Lange is currently an assistant coach/director of player development.

Frontcourt set. Second-year forwards Jerami Grant and Furkan Aldemir and rookie center Jahlil Okafor will make up the starting frontcourt in Utah. The Sixers will open tournament play against the San Antonio Spurs at 7 p.m. Monday at EnergySolutions Arena.

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