I'm just pointing out the facts. According to TPA, PJ Tucker is the 21st worst player in the entire NBA.....so when you use it to suggest he's good at something, you should look at the entire picture, not just cherry pick. Do I think PJ Tucker should be starting? Absolutely not, the guy is terrible, but right now the team is managing to do well despite having to carry his dead weight on offense. So long as that continues, it's fine.....but they'd be better off if they could unload him on someone else.
Now if I'm feeling charitable, I argue that according to TPA, PJ Tucker is a top 10 defensive PF and that he just had an absolutely brutal start to the season offensively and he can still turn it around and be at least mediocre offensively moving forward. If he could do that, he's a guy you absolutely want to keep around and play heavy minutes. I'll even go so far as to say it's possible that actually happens. And I still think it would be insane to extend him beyond MAYBE one more season at half his current salary.
So, how do you account/quantify Yeah, these folks have no idea. You know damn well Tucker is the bread and butter of the defense and communication is the key on D obviously. We play switch D all the time... these tools and new players would have no clue what’s going on without someone anchoring and communicating on defense. That’s Tucker. He’s one of the vets on the team with playoff experience against the toughest of offenses. So, pay the man and he’ll elevate his shooting when needed.
His numbers have fallen off a cliff this season, and the data just doesn't support the position that his presence on the court helps our defense. It might have in years past, but no longer. Today's PJ Tucker is not 2018's PJ Tucker. Shockingly low PER and even lower RAPTOR score. 2024's PJ Tucker? Out of the league probably. Hardly a good time to "pay the man" when his skills are in rapid decline.
Very interesting. I'm a big fan of Friar Tuck and I think he's been a great influence on the defensive play of our young players. Having said that, I also believe that Tucker wants to go to a team that's a contender. If this Tweet is legit, I assume that the third team would be just that. As long as the price isn't too high, and Gordon's ankle is truly on the mend, he'd be a great fit at the 3/4 spot. PJ deserves to get his shot at a title and a shot at the kind of deal I seriously doubt he could receive here, in my opinion.
4 to 6 weeks. I say bring him on board, especially if are just losing Exum and PJ. If Stone pulls off this deal without sending out another rotation player, I'll be pretty damn impressed.
I think it's funny that you're bringing a bunch of stats to talk about how terrible PJ is and how much we need to get rid of him. Meanwhile, Wall, Oladipo, and Gordon are all going on about how crucial he is on both sides of the ball and essential to the recent success the team has had. Clearly his teammates don't think they're having to "carry" him during this winning streak. Players don't typically throw their teammates under the bus like Harden did, but they also don't constantly sing the praises of guys they believe to be "dead weight" in the lineup. It's cliché at this point to say, "don't evaluate PJ on the box score," but if his teammates and coach all believe that he's a crucial component to achieving and sustaining success this season, I'm infinitely more inclined to believe them over some guy talking about TPA.
The players being wrong about someone they like isn't really anything new. That said, as I later pointed out, PJ Tucker is a top 10 defensive PF according to that very same metric so I made a case for him using it. To start the season his offense was just REALLY pathetic....and that made him overall one of the worst players in the NBA according to that metric. Often players will evaluate players based on the guy they used to be, or based on reputation rather than who they are right now. IMO that's what is going on. The BUT statement here is, if PJ Tucker's start to the season offensively was merely a fluke, and he can manage to bounce back to being at least almost mediocre offensively, he's well worth keeping around......but obviously if you could trade him for someone like Aaron Gordon you do it in a heartbeat.
Yep, reason why his value has been lowered. Plus Exum is attractive because Magic need another PG. And they love length and defense which are Exum's calling cards. He will be out almost as long as AG however. Neither will see any action until Around All Star break.
Add BMac too for Bamba, Magic never use him anyway and are dying for more shooting. ORL: Tucker, Exum, McLemore HOU: AG, Bamba But I'll miss PJ.
Heck, I don't like the idea of moving Tucker. If he's changed his mind and would rather stay in Houston, I think we should keep him if a contract could be negotiated that fits both PJ and the Rockets. There's been a lot of "noise," however, about Tucker wanting to be on a contending team (which we are not, of course). Also, he should get an extension. If not from us, then from a contender. Considering all he's given to the Rockets, if that's the course he wants to take, we should try to make it happen, in my opinion. Whether this would be the best move is open for discussion, but it's more of that noise we keep hearing.
