PJ Tucker phenomena: How the relatively undersized forward has brought toughness to his game and what it means for his role at Miami Heat
PJ Tucker is an NBA rock. The definition of an NBA rock in the dictionary would have the face you see above accompanied with it. The 6'4" power forward, coming off an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, is now looking to duplicate his role with the Miami Heat. Wherever PJ Tucker goes, the dimension he adds to a team from either a relentless defender or hitting big threes from the corners is a definitive one. I don't know if the NBA is ready to contend with the Miami Heat in general after a great offseason of transactions, yet one of the moves is different than any other, and that's gathering the force of might that is PJ Tucker.
P.J. Tucker really is the sneaker king 😂👟
He got Giannis' shoe before he did @brkicks
(via @Bucks) https://t.co/dp1Ta6lPSH
Look at the Miami Heat
PJ Tucker joins a Miami Heat team that has two young up-and-coming players in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, the sharpshooting Duncan Robinson, a recent NBA champion as well as Kyle Lowry, the built in toughness of Jimmy Butler, a hard-but-fair coach in Erik Spolestra, and super-tough Pat Riley up top. Is Pat Riley building the New York Knicks of 90's fame? Sure, looks like it. There isn't a tougher team in the NBA on paper, and the Miami Heat will wear down teams because that toughness will be relentless.
Adding two separate champions to the roster
In Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker, Pat Riley acquired big pieces from two recent NBA champions. Kyle Lowry, being from Philly, carries a bulldog edge to the point guard position - a position he can also disrupt defensively. Winning a championship from the leadership position of point guard is quite the honor, and bringing that to South Beach is a genius move by Pat Riley. Adding PJ Tucker on either end with all of his matchup problems is also a genius Pat Riley move. PJ Tucker will guard any player in front of him with the most nonstop pressure regardless of the game situation. Surely many players are glad when the game is over after dealing with PJ Tucker. He was so bothersome guarding Kevin Durant in the playoffs that even though Durant was pretty much unstoppable, it almost appeared that PJ Tucker won the matchup simply through effort. Winning an NBA championship later truly shows that hard work has paid off.
What it means... vets P.J. Tucker and Jeff Teague are NBA Champions! https://t.co/qoZ6hVdiCk
PJ Tucker is a "Dog"
Not many pro athletes play to they're 36. PJ Tucker was the Toronto Raptors' 35th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft out of the University of Texas and has been here, there and everywhere. PJ Tucker has had many stops in over his basketball journey - namely five years overseas - and brings a dog mentality to the Miami Heat. PJ Tucker has said so himself:
"It's the attitude of our team right, it's the dog mentality that I always talk about. We got so many guys with it and even guys that people don't realize have it. Coz they are not like me, they are not loud and.... but they are definitely dogs in a whole another way... that's going to be key because the leadership is there, and other tools are there, it's just putting together."
What does toughness mean?
Toughness means getting in the face of teammates when they aren't playing to their abilities; toughness is playing all over the place for 15 years and becoming an NBA champion after acquiring so much wisdom; toughness is guarding the opposition's best four in the most critical moments when normally PJ Tucker is at a big height disadvantage; toughness is finishing on the floor when you started on the bench; toughness is being the vocal leader regardless of who is on the team or running the team. He's said that once Jrue Holiday was signed, he thought there was a chance to win it all, and now that he's on the Miami Heat, did his teammates say the same thing when they heard he was acquired?
What does it all mean for the Miami Heat
Fans often wonder why NBA teams covet a player that isn't regarded as a star in the NBA. Fans see a bevy of three-point shots and sometimes forget the game is also played on the defensive end. Defenders like PJ Tucker are leaders. They set the tone in the locker room by doing whatever it takes to fire up the team in public and private moments. Players like PJ Tucker are invaluable in that regard. They anchored the defense and pushed teams over the top defensively when, in a lot of cases, they just needed one more piece. The same can be said on the offensive end. How many times has PJ Tucker stuck an unexpected corner three when the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks needed it? You can visualize him now strutting up the floor looking at the opposing bench smiling after such a dagger. I've said earlier that it would not be a shock if the Miami Heat come out of the Eastern Conference. Pat Riley could not stand the bad taste of last season on his lips, so he got a dog that will stabilize his talented team on both ends of the floor. Can PJ Tucker go back to back? We'll see in June.