Getty Al Horford #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks to pass as Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics defends during the first quarter in Game Four of the first round of the playoffs at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 23, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
There has been plenty to excited about surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers’ recent stretch of play. The team is now riding a seven-game winning streak and is within three games of the top seed of the Eastern Conference. They most notably overcame a 20-point deficit to take down the Los Angeles Clippers in what served as a statement win for the Sixers.
One player who has not yet captured the hearts of all Sixers fans is P.J. Tucker. The 37-year-old veteran was the prized addition of the offseason and inked a three-year deal with $33 million which involved the Sixers being docked two second-round picks due to the tampering that was determined to take place. Through the opening 31 games of the season, Tucker is averaging 3.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks in his 28.5 minutes per game. His lack of box-score impact has drawn criticism from fans with some drawing parallels to the Sixers Al Horford in 2019.
The idea of PJ Tucker on the Sixers is great. However, the reason and the money is giving me Al Horford signing vibes
Al Horford Addition
Just a few months following the trade for Jimmy Butler and a few days after he announced he was taking his talents to South Beach, the Sixers were in a difficult spot. Their declaration of star-hunting as the franchise flipped from the rebuilding era into true contenders made them buyers on the market. This brought them to Horford who was 32 years old at the time, a five-time all-star, and most notably one of the best defenders of Joel Embiid during their postseason matchups.
No love lost between Joel Embiid and Al Horford 👀
The motivation of making the Sixers’ path through the East easier played a role, but the team also believed pairing Horford with Embiid would elevate the team to a defense nightmare for opposing teams. This did not prove to be the case and the four-year $109 million contract quickly climbed the ranks of worst contracts in the league. In his lone season in Philadelphia, Horford averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his 30.2 minutes per game.
Most notably, Horford struggled in a major way to share the floor with Embiid and Ben Simmons. In the 620:26 of game minutes that Embiid and Horford shared the floor, the Sixers were outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions. In the 433:08 of game minutes the trio of Simmons, Embiid, and Horford were on the court together, they were outscored by 1.0 point per 100 possessions throughout the regular season.
While Simmons missed the postseason due to a back injury, the duo of Horford and Embiid shared the court for 87:43 of game minutes in the playoffs. During this time they were outscored by 34.7 points per 100 possessions. The two big men did not effectively share the floor and mucked up the offense in a way that was damaging to the Sixers as a whole.
This possession was comical with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons trying to post up at the same time, then Tobias Harris deciding to back down from the right block. All five Heat players were in the paint because Horford and Milton are middling 3-point shooting threats. Awful offense.
Tucker’s Fit on Sixers
While Horford was brought in to be a major contributor, this was not the expectation with Tucker. He has made a career out of doing the little things necessary to contribute to a team’s winning brand of basketball. For those expecting Tucker to be lighting up the scoresheet, this has not been the player he has been throughout his entire career. While his numbers have taken a dip this season, throughout his career has averaged just 7.0 points and 5.6 assists.
The most important factor of Tucker is his ability to optimize the rest of the starters. He has taken on a massive defensive workload, matching up with the opposing team’s best player on a nightly basis. His 5.6% offensive rebounding percentage also provides a positive boost and ranks third on the Sixers only behind Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell.
These PJ Tucker back screens led to 2 (almost 3 but Tucker was called for an offensive foul) treys for Tobias Harris.
O.G. got caught on the first one, Pascal on the second
In the 564:35 of game minutes Tucker has shared the floor with Embiid, the Sixers have outscored opponents by 7.7 points per 100 possessions. In the 466:16 of game minutes when playing alongside James Harden, the Sixers are outscoring opponents by 4.9 points per 100 possessions. In the 330:45 the trio has been on the court together, the Sixers have outscored opponents by 8.4 points per 100 possessions.
In one of the more bizarre stats of the season, the Sixers are also 8-1 in games that Tucker has been held scoreless. With Harden, Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey sure to dominate the team’s shot attempts, having a guy comfortable in making the most out of limited opportunities is key. More than any player on the roster, Tucker will be judged on the production he brings in the postseason. The veteran is the only player on the Sixers to have won a championship and has been in the second round or further for six consecutive seasons.
PJ Tucker held Jason Tatum to 2 points on 1-4 shooting (and a blocked shot) in 30 possessions defensively. In 45 possessions against other Celtics, Boston players went 2-3. His ball pressure, timeliness on switches and help rotations are a fundamental part of the #Rockets defense
While his impact may not show up in the way most expect, he will continue to be a key part of the Sixers moving forward. Horford was not cut out for the role he was asked, but Tucker looks comfortable in his. Signing the Celtics’ big man will forever be remembered as a failure, but the jury is out on how Tucker will be remembered. There is already quite a gap in the players’ willingness to adapt to the offense and fit as a whole. Tucker is not the failure Horford proved to be and he will become more important to the team as the season progresses.
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Will the Al Horford or P.J. Tucker Contract Age Worse For the Sixers?