Canaan turned in another disappointing performance in Monday’s loss to the Cavaliers, finishing with only seven points (2-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, and an assist over his 31 minutes.

When Canaan’s shot isn’t falling, he generally struggles to make an impact, as he’s not much of a defender and struggles as a distributor. That weakness in Canaan’s game has been readily apparent through the Sixers’ first three contests, as the starting point guard is averaging 11.7 points on 29 percent shooting from the field and has posted five assists against seven turnovers. Though Canaan’s minutes have remained relatively stable throughout the season, that could soon change after backup point guard T.J. McConnell submitted an excellent performance off the bench Monday, scoring six points while dishing out 12 assists in just 23 minutes. Canaan’s starting job was already expected to be threatened later this season when Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten return from ACL injuries, but McConnell’s early success could result in an even earlier bench assignment for Canaan. Continue to monitor the minutes and production of Canaan and McConnell over the next handful of games.