How Will P.J. Tucker Fit In With Philadelphia's Lineup?
On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers came to an agreement with free-agent P.J. Tucker, signing him to a three-year contract that is expected to be $33 million dollars.
For the Sixers, this signing will help fill the void left by the departure of Danny Green to the Memphis Grizzlies on draft night. Tucker offers a similar offensive game to Green as both like to shoot the three, yet the additional inches which Tucker has helps him drive inside.
Last season, Tucker averaged 7.6 points per game along with 2.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds, which are all career averages for the 11-year-veteran.
With this addition, Philadelphia has plenty of options to play with when it comes to forwards, as on top of Tucker, there lies Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris, Paul Reed, and Georges Niang.
Out of those other forwards, only Harris, Thybulle, and Niang saw regular minutes, with Reed coming in for the end of games or if any of the other forwards were unavailable.
With Green's spot in the starting lineup being left open, it initially made sense for Thybulle to grab the spot, yet Tucker may change that. Thybulle provides the Sixers with elite-level defense yet struggles at times with the offensive part of his game. On the other hand, Tucker provides more consistency with his offensive production, shooting 49 percent from the field, which includes 41 percent from deep.
This debate of who would start does come with a big asterisk for Tucker. It would require him to play small forward, which is something he hasn't done consistently in nearly six years. During the previous five seasons, Tucker has spent more time as a power forward, only switching to the three during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Unless Harris is traded away, which there are rumors about, it's unlikely that Tucker would appear in the starting lineup as a power forward. Yet, there still lies a chance for him to battle with Thybulle for the other forward position.
In any case, Tucker will help bring the veteran and NBA champion mentality to the roster, which is full of young and developing players, which is important as it means the impact Green made on his teammates will not be erased.
Regardless, the acquisition of Tucker is just another step in the Sixers' Front Office's quest to create a bench that will allow their franchise superstars to catch their breath while not having to worry about the score.
Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH
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In Philly At Last: After a public plea from Joel Embiid, and countless rumors about needing a P.J. Tucker-like player in Philadelphia, the Sixers found their guy in P.J. Tucker himself. With a player option attached to his contract for the 2022-2023 season, Tucker opted out from re-joining the Miami Heat for next year. At the opening of free agency, Tucker landed himself a three-year contract to join James Harden, Embiid, and the 76ers. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
