By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Over the entire process, fans have taken a liking to a handful of players. Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Nerlens Noel and TJ McConnell just to name a few. Embiid and Saric are locks to make the Sixers roster this season, Nerlens recently signed a one-year deal with Dallas, and TJ? Well, his future remains to be seen. Training camp gives players the opportunity to fight for roster spots and there should be some close battles heading into the preseason with McConnell in the thick of the fight to earn a place on the Sixers.
"I'm going to fight for my life and fight for my minutes like I've been doing at each training camp," McConnell said on Monday prior to the first day of camp.
Let's first take a look at who is an active roster lock:
Guards: Jerryd Bayless, Markelle Fultz, JJ Redick
Forwards: Robert Covington, Amir Johnson, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons
Centers: Joel Embiid, Richaun Holmes, Jahlil Okafor
So, that's 10 guys that are most likely the locks for the 12-man active roster heading into Opening Night, barring any injuries or setbacks. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will likely start the year inactive as he continues to recover from knee tendinitis. That leaves TJ McConnell, Nik Stauskas, Kris Humphries, Furkan Korkmaz and Justin Anderson as the main players looking to lock up one of the final two spots on the active roster. James Blackmon Jr., James Michael McAdoo, Emeka Okafor and Jacob Pullen will also being trying their hardest to make the final roster a tough decision.
The Sixers can have up to three inactive players, so who makes the team on Opening Night doesn't necessarily mean they will be on the active roster the next week. Rotations are likely and one guy could be active one night and not the next. At first glance at the 10 guys listed as locks, the lack of depth is in the two guard spot. Redick will start there and Fultz will see time at shooting guard as well, but both are going to start if all goes according to plan. It seems like a fair assumption that either Nik Stauskas or Justin Anderson will take one of those remaining spots. Stauskas' ability to shoot the three is his best selling point while Anderson has streaky shooting, but plays strong defense.
If Stauskas takes the 11th spot, TJ McConnell, Kris Humphries and Justin Anderson would be the likely leaders for the final active spot and with the Sixers already having Jerryd Bayless, Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons as the point guards/primary ball-handlers, it makes more sense to have a veteran like Humphries for depth in the other active spot on the roster to start.
Guards: Jerryd Bayless, Markelle Fultz, JJ Redick, Nik Stauskas
Forwards: Robert Covington, Kris Humphries, Amir Johnson, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons
Centers: Joel Embiid, Richaun Holmes, Jahlil Okafor
There's a chance Justin Anderson makes it over Stauskas because of his long-range potential and defensive ability, but it's hard to believe Furkan Korkmaz goes into the opener as an active man on the roster with his limited NBA experience. Expect Korkmaz to see some time in Delaware with the 87ers to develop his game and gradually get placed in games at the NBA level despite the inability to be a two-way guy on the roster.
This brings us back to McConnell. At the beginning of last year, he entered camp as the third string point guard behind Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez. TJ was fortunate that Bayless was limited to three games and Rodriguez was slumping while ailing an injury at the end of December, giving him the chance to win the starting position. He didn't let the opportunity pass him by, averaging 8.1 points and dishing out 9.3 assists per game in January. Just like that, McConnell was the starting point guard. He finished the season with averages of 6.9 points and 6.6 assists per game, shooting 46.1 percent from the floor, but was especially impressive in the second half, averaging 8.1 points and 7.5 assists. With all he accomplished last season, it's silly to think he'll have the same role with Bayless, Simmons and Fultz out there, and Bryan Colangelo signaled towards that in his media availability on Monday.
Colangelo: "Are TJ McConnell's minutes going to get cut? They probably will."
— Jake Pavorsky (@JakePavorsky) September 25, 2017
That being said, he's a fan favorite and a player favorite. Heck, his teammates voted him Teammate of the Year. Brett Brown raved about him on numerous occasions last season and is still talking about it this year.
"How can we not play TJ [McConnell]," Brown pondered at the Sixers' media luncheon last week. "The kid wins. He makes things happen." [NJ.com]
TJ has worked his tail off to earn minutes and made some memorable clutch shots – the biggest coming against the Knicks in game-winning fashion on January 11 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Less than a month later, on February 9, McConnell hit the game-winner against Orlando on the road.
Although Brett Brown sounds like he wants to play him, McConnell is definitely facing a significant minutes cut. This season, the former undrafted free agent turned process soldier also faces the uphill battle of being the fourth point guard/primary ball-handler behind Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and Jerryd Bayless. There's no doubting McConnell will give it his all, but will his history with the Sixers as a grinder and close bonds he's made with his teammates be enough to earn a spot on an already packed Sixers active roster?
"I'm going to work my butt off every day to make sure I'm on the court."
