PJ Tucker should be available with our second round pick and I propose we use it on him. Outside of Brandon Roy he is the most complete 2 guard in the draft. - he handles the ball well - he plays tireless defense - he finishes extremely well - he is an offensive rebounding machine -strong enough and athletic enough to play shooting guard or small forward - great intangibles His weakness is that he does not shoot the ball well enough from the outside and plays more like a small forward than a shooting guard. One web site compared him to Mario Ellie and I thought that was a damn good comparison. Another player I would compare him to is Bobby Sura although unlike Sura he can’t run the offense but his hustle, rebounding and demeanor on the court remind me a lot of Sura and Ellie. He is a high motor player with a strong basket ball I.Q. He is strong enough and athletic enough to play defense against the shooting guards or small forwards of the league. I think he will eventually be a starter in the league although probably never an all star but like Mario Ellie, he I think he will be the quintessential role player. Willing to do all the dirty work, hitting the timely shot, getting the crunch time offensive rebounding or steal and finishing strong on the break. He is strong enough that he will over power many shooting guards and he will never be out hustled. Once PJ Tuckers outside jumper becomes more consistent he will easily be a double digit scorer. Another player he reminds a lot of is Ruben Patterson but with out the baggage.
PJ Tucker is NOT a SG. He is a PF stuck in a SG's body. I agree that picking him up in the 2nd Round could be a steal, but he is going to have his work cut out for him in the NBA. The guy is strong and plays all-out. He loves to battle downlow for boards and can finish strong around the basket. He has good handles for how he plays, his 3-pt shot is almost non-existant, but has a nice mid-range jumper. He runs the floor well and plays intense defense. As far as the Elie, Sura comparison, their game doesn't compare at all but the fire and intensity they play with can. The Patterson comparison is not bad, Tucker gives a lot of intangibles, it's really a shame he is only 6'5".
PJ Tucker is a guy I've liked for a while but I've been hoping he goes back to school. He seems to have that bulldog mentality and he is very physical. I pictured him as a bigger, stronger, more athletic Bogans.
I don't think he has quite the handles to be quick enough of an offensive 2. Plus if he's bangin down low for the boards out of the 2 spot, you pretty much have 1 man back.. I don't think he's nearly as quick as Patterson. He gets so many of his points out in transition and backdoor and stuff like Ced Ceballos did. I guess I'd be willing to take a flyer on him 2nd round, but I'm thinkin at the 32 spot we could find someone more proven? I don't know who though, that was just an assumption I had.. I feel like PJ is halfway. I think we should take someone more proven or with a bigger risk & reward potential. PJ is in the middle..and I personally don't think he has all that much upside in the NBA, mostly due to his size and style.
That might be a better comparison I think.. though I wouldn't say more athletic necessarily.. Bogans is decent in that department.
I understand your feelings but I havent seen Bogans fly like this, at least not since he's been in the league.
My guess would be that if Tucker projects to the 2nd round, he will go back to UT for his senior season. He knows he needs to work on his shot and UT is a top national championship contender with him. That said, I'd love to have him as a Rocket. He can handle the ball, pass, rebound and play defense. Yes, he's a PF in a SG body. I believe his tru position is SF as he constantly covers players taller than him. Athleticism is not an issue.
If the goal is to add the best and most athletic player that slips to the second round I would rather have Hassan Adams than Tucker. I've seen the Tucker/Ruben Patterson comparisons, but Adams reminds me of a cross between Patterson and Desmond Mason. When describing his athleticism, I don't think the term "freakish" does him justice anymore. He's a great scorer but his game isn't limited to just that. He plays with a ton of passion and intensity on both ends of the floor. He's an excellent defender capable of effectively guarding both SG/SF positions. He rebounds well, gets a ton of steals and plays bigger than he really is. The main knock on him is he probably doesn't have NBA three point range, much like Patterson and Mason. Other than that, he's a top notch NBA prospect which surprises me to see him projected to go at the end of the first round/early second round. He's clearly a player we need to keep our eyes on and could potentially become one of the biggest steals in the draft.
The two types of players I do NOT want to see the Rockets acquire this off-season- 1. injury prone players 2. players that cannot shoot
If Tucker turns out to be a good NBA player, it may take him a few years to develop, just like Elie. I wouldn't draft him. But if he's undrafted, invite him into camp. I just don't see a lot of promise for him at the NBA level. Defensively he would have no chance against NBA SGs or SFs. Offensively, what he does in college doesn't translate at all with his stature. He should go back to college, enjoy another great year while he can and don't worry about next year's draft class being stronger than this years. In the NBA, he'll be an 11th or 12th man riding the bench. Just my opinion.
I'm all for drafting Tucker in the 2nd, but I remember people here being much more against it. Even though I go to UT, I think either Gibson or Tucker would be steals in the 2nd round. It's kind of like drafting high school guys, drafting players who are coming out earlier than expected. Not near the learning curve though.
Pittsnogle is much better value in the second round IMO. A 6-10 PF that can shoot the three and is clutch.
Except he's more athletic, has a jump shot, and isn't limited to just hanging around the basket. I've started to really like Tucker. I think he can develop a three point shot eventually. I remember when he first came to UT, he couldn't shoot the ball at all and he eventually developed a jump shot all the way out to the college 3 point line. He's a hard worker who certainly will do what he can to improve and become a more complete player. He has some penetration skill, excellent post-up game, and a pretty decent mid-range jumper. Plus he's a phenomenal rebounder for his size and can really make an impact. He practically played the SF position since Aldridge and Buckman took the PF and Center spots. Pittsnogle might be better in the short term because of his three point shooting but the guy is a stiff. He's a pretty bad rebounder and a poor defender who's not very athletic. He'll give you good offense, but he'll make Scott Padgett look like a good defender.
