A few hours after the elimination of the Sixers in the playoffs against the Heat last season, Joel Embiid praised the qualities of one of his executioners, P.J. Tucker. The pivot of Philadelphia believed that his team needed a player like the interior of Miami, an experienced soldier and strong defender, to pass a course.
This call was heard by the leaders since the Sixers quickly (perhaps too quickly for the league, for that matter…) signed inside, as soon as the transfer window opened this summer.
“PJ had an impact in the series, with his toughness, his very high level defense, his energy, his offensive rebounds. Joel said in a fair way that we could have a player like him”says Daryl Morey for the podcast The Takeoff. “But Embiid never asked for Tucker. It turns out he was available. If he hadn’t been free, we would have taken another direction. “
“We’re trying to win at the moment, I don’t take care of him at 40”
The president of the Sixers even believes that when a franchise targets a particular player, it will then tend to overpay him. However, isn’t this the case with PJ Tucker, who signed for three seasons and 33.2 million dollars when the former Rockets is already 37 years old?
“If you look at players similar to Tucker, he should have been out of the league for four years”advance to justify himself Daryl Morey. “Almost no one who evolves in his register is still on the floors at 37 years old. We are therefore already in the unknown. We’re trying to win right now, I don’t take care of him at 40. Also, I’m not betting against Tucker. Everyone who did it was wrong. I don’t know what he will look like at 40, he believes in himself and thinks he will be good. “
Offering $11 million per season to a 37-year-old 3&D remains a gamble. For the Sixers, it’s a measured bet.
“Even if his body betrays him a bit in the future, I know he will bring energy and be a valuable player in our squad,” assures the former GM of Houston. “For the 36- or 37-year-old players who help teams win the title, they’re pretty much all recognized former All-Stars. PJ Tucker is an All-Star in his role. Maybe in 50 years players like him will be All-Stars because people will understand their contribution. “
| P.J. Tucker | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2006-07 | TOR | 17 | 5 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 57.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| 2012-13 | PHX | 79 | 24 | 47.3 | 31.4 | 74.4 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 6.4 |
| 2013-14 | PHX | 81 | 31 | 43.1 | 38.7 | 77.6 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 9.4 |
| 2014-15 | PHX | 78 | 31 | 43.8 | 34.5 | 72.7 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 9.1 |
| 2015-16 | PHX | 82 | 31 | 41.1 | 33.0 | 74.6 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 8.0 |
| 2016-17* | All Teams | 81 | 28 | 41.3 | 35.7 | 77.4 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 6.7 |
| 2016-17* | PHX | 57 | 29 | 41.5 | 33.8 | 79.2 | 1.7 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 7.0 |
| 2016-17* | TOR | 24 | 25 | 40.6 | 40.0 | 68.8 | 1.0 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 5.8 |
| 2017-18 | HOO | 82 | 28 | 39.0 | 37.1 | 71.7 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 6.1 |
| 2018-19 | HOO | 82 | 34 | 39.6 | 37.7 | 69.5 | 1.5 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 7.3 |
| 2019-20 | HOO | 72 | 34 | 41.5 | 35.8 | 81.3 | 1.6 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 6.9 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 52 | 26 | 37.3 | 33.6 | 75.0 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 3.7 |
| 2020-21 * | HOO | 32 | 30 | 36.6 | 31.4 | 78.3 | 1.0 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 4.4 |
| 2020-21 * | MIL | 20 | 20 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 60.0 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 71 | 28 | 48.4 | 41.5 | 73.8 | 1.4 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 7.6 |
| Total | 777 | 29 | 42.5 | 36.4 | 74.8 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 7.1 | |
