T.J. McConnell was 'shocked' he had a hamstring strain in preseason
· Yahoo Sports
DALLAS -- T.J. McConnell entered preseason believing he'd done whatever he could do to alleviate the hamstring tightness he dealt with most of last season.
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The Pacers' 19-63 finish gave them an early exit after runs to the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals the two previous seasons, so the veteran backup point guard had nearly five months between seasons to get right and he felt he had.
But in an early practice prior to the Pacers' first preseason game, McConnell learned he'd be missing most of training camp for the second straight season.
"I was on a good plan throughout the summer which I followed, especially when I got back," he said. "I was just trying to work as best as I could and as hard as I could. It was just kind of one of those things where it wasn't a specific play. I just felt it after practice one day and was shocked at the results of the MRI that there was a strain there."
A hamstring strain in October of 2025 cost McConnell the season's first 10 games. This year it cost him the first nine before he made his return on Saturday in the Pacers' loss to the Nuggets in Mexico City. It's made for an awkward ramp-up into McConnell's 12th NBA season, but last year gave him a sense of the pathway.
"I was kinda used to it," McConnell said. "I just don't like missing time. I'm just thankful for the trainers and my teammates."
In two games back, McConnell's been on a tight minutes restriction. He played nine minutes in Saturday's game and eight in Monday's loss to the Mavericks with his minutes all coming in the first half. He has eight points on 4-of-7 shooting and four assists against five turnovers in 17 total minutes. He said prior to Monday's game that his body has reacted well but he's not sure how long he'll be on a restriction."
"I'm just kinda doing what I'm told at this point," McConnell said. "Going out there and trying to make the most of my minutes."
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: T.J. McConnell was 'shocked' he had a hamstring strain in preseason