Buy or Sell Sixers trends: P.J. Tucker’s offensive disappearance
The Sixers as a whole have faired surprisingly well in the absence of Joel Embiid and the team’s foundational pieces. The same cannot be said for P.J. Tucker individually. Over his last seven games, the 37-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina has scored three total points. Not averaged three points — scored three points, in total.
No matter how you slice it, that’s pretty disheartening. Tucker was benched the entire second half of Philadelphia’s win over Orlando on Sunday, though one could attribute that to the Sixers’ dominant lead on the front end of a back-to-back. Fans have started to grumble about Tucker’s lack of points, and understandably so. Philly invested a lot of money in him over the summer.
That being said… is there really any cause for concern here? While Tucker’s shot volume is down from last season in Miami, his percentages are comparable. He’s still shooting 38.7 percent from 3-point range on the season. And the defense remains rock solid, especially when you consider the matchups he draws night-to-night.
The absence of Philly’s star creators has perhaps shed an uncomfortable light on Tucker’s recent struggles and his general inability to create shots for himself. But when this team is healthy, Tucker has a pretty streamlined job offensively: set screens, space to the corner, and make quick decisions. He’s quite good at that job, and the lack of points is far less noticeable when he’s surrounded by three-to-four legitimate offensive stars instead of the aptly nicknamed “Hospital Sixers.” The defense, hustle plays, and leadership are what define Tucker’s value to this franchise. He’s not lagging behind in those areas, and in terms of statistical probability, he’s bound to get more 3s to fall eventually.
Final verdict: SELL