Getty P.J. Tucker of the Philadelphia 76ers
With the Philadelphia 76ers‘ season about to resume, Shamus Clancy of PhillyVoice wrote his five thoughts on the Sixers going forward. Among his thoughts were what he believes should be the Sixers’ playoff closing lineup – Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and De’Anthony Melton. Among the Sixers most notably excluded was P.J. Tucker.
Clancy explained why he does not believe the Sixers can count on Tucker at the end of playoff games.
“Can they rely on P.J. Tucker at the end of a playoff game though?
“At this stage, I say no. Tucker is a dog and the only player on this roster with a championship ring. He’s grinded out a tough career and cashed in a nice payday this past offseason. He turns 38 in May, though. If he’s shooting fewer than two threes per game and not bringing the defense he’s been known for, what’s his utility late in games unless Rivers is going offense-defense?”
Tucker played crucial playoff minutes for his three previous teams – the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat – but, much like Clancy pointed out, he’s getting old enough where his age could be a problem. Despite him approaching his late-30s, Tucker has started all 55 games he’s played for the Sixers this season.
Sixers Urged to Target Potential Tucker Replacement
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report urged the Sixers to target Phoenix Suns wing Torrey Craig this offseason, believing that Tucker’s advanced age, combined with Craig’s skillset, could be a huge boost for the Sixers.
“Torrey Craig is particularly interesting in the aftermath of the failed Danuel House signing and given P.J. Tucker’s aging curve. He is drilling almost 40 percent of his threes and isn’t afraid to take them, and he appreciably improves Philly’s unspectacular presence on the offensive glass—all while providing assignment flexibility at the defensive end,” Favale said.
Favale added that even with the wings the Sixers have now, there’s nothing wrong with adding more.
“Racking more fliers on wings is the way to go, even after picking up Jalen McDaniels at the trade deadline.”
Favale later admitted that what the Sixers do will all depend on what happens with James Harden’s potential upcoming free agency this offseason.
“Planning this far in advance of the Philadelphia 76ers’ offseason is all kinds of risky. The James Harden-to-Houston reporting around Christmas looms, and their entire trajectory changes if he decides to leave.”
Clancy Believes Sixers Have Backup Center Issues
One of Clancy’s additional thoughts is that “the Sixers are stuck at backup center,” as he put it not sounding particularly optimistic about who they have backing up Embiid.
“Behind Embiid, the Sixers have Montrezl Harrell, Paul Reed, and Dewayne Dedmon. I’m rolling with Reed come the postseason just for the athleticism and upside, but that’s a black hole.”
Clancy then references one of the Sixers’ biggest playoff games in recent memory that illustrates their long-standing issues with backup centers.
“Until the end of my days, I’ll think about the Sixers’ Game 7 against the Raptors in the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals. In a two-point loss, Embiid was a plus-10 in over 45 minutes of play. Backup center Greg Monroe was a minus-9 in the less than two minutes he was on the court. Improbable? Yes, but this is the Sixers we’re talking about.
“Can the Sixers trust any of these guys to not be a minus-9 in 101 seconds of action? I don’t know.”