Getty P.J. Tucker #17 of the Miami Heat celebrates after his made three point basket against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in Game Six of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals.
The prize of the offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers was PJ Tucker whom the team handed a three-year deal with $33 million just minutes into the start of free agency. Several members of the Sixers pointed out the team’s lack of toughness following their postseason exit and Tucker is expected to help change this in a major way. The veteran hinted that he has been interested in coming to Philly for quite some time and his arrival has finally occurred.
As training camp begins the Sixers have started to figure out the on-court fits for each member of the team. While some have questioned the fit of Tucker alongside Tobias Harris, the veteran has no concerns about his ability to fill whatever role is asked of him. While talking to the media following training camp, Tucker stated:
“I’m a chameleon. I can fit in anywhere, any scheme. I’m a guy that just does his job. Period. It may not be pretty. It may not be the glamorous thing to do, but just getting the job done because at the end of the day, all that matters is winning. It’s all people remember is winning, and it’s all that matters,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Tucker’s Expected Role
While there has been no formal announcement, all indications are pointing to Tucker replacing Matisse Thybulle in the starting lineup this season. The veteran played a valuable role on the Miami Heat last season that knocked the Sixers out of the playoffs in the second round. He has experience playing alongside James Harden and under Daryl Morey during his time with the Rockets and has played in a minimum of 10 postseason games in each of the past six seasons.
PJ Tucker working on spot threes from the right corner and wing.
His versatile defense and ability to knock down corner three-pointers will be a seamless fit on this Sixers roster. Tucker will be expected to fill the shoes of Danny Green from beyond the arc while bringing more to the team in other areas as well. Tucker’s best statistical seasons were with the Rockets. During the 2018-19 postseason, he averaged 11.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 45.6% on three-pointers. He played 38.7 minutes per game during this stretch.
Quantifying his Toughness
There is certainly appeal in his on-court abilities, but the toughness and intangibles are the true reason the Sixers sought after Tucker. Following the disappointing second-round exit, Joel Embiid mentioned the scrappy veteran by name for the impact on the game that he has. As the superstar put it to the media following the postseason exit:
“You look at someone like P.J. Tucker. Great player, but it’s not about him knocking down shots. It’s about what he does, whether it’s on the defensive end or rebounding the ball. You look at, obviously, defensively, he plays with so much energy, believes that he can get from point A to point B, and he believes that no one can beat him. And he’s tough. He’s just physical, and he’s tough. And they have a few of those guys, whether it’s Bam (Adebayo) and all those guys. And since I’ve been here, I’d be lying if I said that we’ve had those types of guys. Nothing against what we have, it’s just the truth. We never had P.J. Tucker. That’s really what I’m trying to say. So, I think physicality – especially once you get to the playoffs or the later rounds – you need that. You need those guys that are really tough,” via Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com.
Embiid got his wish and the Sixers were able to land Tucker this offseason. The early signs have been positive regarding his fit on the court and it will be to be determined if he is the missing piece in the way the team hopes. For the time being, it is clear Tucker has no concern with fitting in on this Sixers team and it will soon be seen how this translates to live game action.