P.j. Tucker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Notes: Reed, Harris, Rivers, Tucker

April 23rd, 2023 at 9:41am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid out due to a right knee sprain, his backup Paul Reed elevated his game to help the Sixers sweep the Nets and advance, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Reed notched a 10-point, 15-rebound game while jumping center for Philadelphia, and also chipped in several key plays on both sides of the ball, opines Pompey.

“He kept his hand on the ball, getting extra possessions,” forward P.J. Tucker said. “That stuff matters. ‘You got to have a motor in this game’ is what I told hm. ‘Don’t worry about scoring. Just worry about being in the right place, right time, helping and communicating.’ And he did. In the second half, he came out and he did that.”

There’s more out of the City of Brotherly Love:

Sixers forward Tobias Harris helped ensure that Philadelphia moved on in Sunday’s Game 4 with a stellar turn of his own, writes Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. Neubeck adds that Harris exploited his size advantages against several of his defenders with adept mid-post isolation activity.
In response to referees’ decision to initially penalize Embiid more than Nic Claxton for what he saw as a retaliation against a Claxton provocation in Game 3, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said that he felt that the league was pointedly favoring the provocateur, writes Cydney Henderson of USA Today. “If we’re going to start punishing the retaliators, and not the instigators, then we’ve got a problem in this league,” Rivers said. “I think the league is setting up a very dangerous precedent right now… Teams are targeting the better player with instigation to get them thrown out and the better player has to be above and can’t retaliate.”
P.J. Tucker helped set the tone for the team’s approach to the sweep, writes Gina Mizell for The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). “From the layup line, the way he was adamant about focus and ‘We’re gonna win today,'” Harris said. “Those types of things just show the winning attitude… and that rubs off on all the other guys on the team.”

Atlantic Notes: J. Brown, Hauser, Bridges, Reed

April 15th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

It wasn’t obvious to anyone who watched him post 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Celtics‘ series-opening win Saturday, but Jaylen Brown was having trouble gripping the ball because of a cut that reopened on his right hand, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN. Brown originally suffered the cut while watering his plants last week and had to get five stitches. He wasn’t able to practice until Thursday and is still experimenting with the best way to protect the hand while he’s playing.

“It’s a constant adjustment, making sure I have a good grip on the ball,” Brown said, although he told reporters that he doesn’t expect the injury to bother him throughout the entire series.

Brown started Saturday’s game with padding over the cut, but it seemed to distract him, according to Harvey. He went to the locker room after checking out in the first quarter and returned with a new bandage that appeared to be more comfortable.

“There’s not a lot of padding on it, so it’s just a different feel shooting the ball,” Brown said. “(The pain) is fine. Especially with the adrenaline of the game, you kind of just get going.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sam Hauser moved ahead of Grant Williams in the Celtics‘ Game 1 rotation, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Williams has been struggling with his shot lately, Robb adds, while Hauser played well against the Hawks in the regular season, so the move was a way to put more pressure on Atlanta’s defense. Robb adds that Boston will need Williams against bigger teams later in the playoffs, but the Hawks don’t have anyone capable of exploiting Hauser’s defensive shortcomings.
Suns coach Monty Williams is glad to see Mikal Bridges blossoming into a star with the Nets, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bridges has averaged 26.1 PPG since being sent to Brooklyn in February as part of the Kevin Durant trade. He scored 30 points in Saturday’s loss to the Sixers, one short of his career playoff high. “Mikal is shooting the ball a lot and making a lot,” Williams said. “I’m happy for him. I see him balling. That’s what I see. You know how it works. If we’re not playing him, I want him to succeed. I love him and (Cameron Johnson) like family. Those boys have been balling since they got to Brooklyn.”
The Sixers got a lift from their “energy guys” in the win over Brooklyn, observes Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed both delivered big games as Philadelphia pulled away. “Five for six, a couple dunks, a couple rebounds, a couple steals,” Reed said. “That’s what Paul Reed does.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Tucker, Rotation

April 15th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Joel Embiid, named on Friday as one of three finalists for the NBA’s 2022/23 Most Valuable Player award, says he’ll take it in stride if he falls just short of earning the honor for a third consecutive year. However, Embiid admits it would mean a lot to him to be named MVP, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

“This year I’ve made a commitment to not put myself out there, talking about I’m the MVP, or saying I want to win,” Embiid said. “For the guys that keep saying, ‘It’s whatever, I don’t care about winning it, doesn’t matter.’ But it’s all bulls–t. You want to be the MVP. That means a lot being the MVP of the league. There are only certain guys that get the opportunity to have their name on it. It would be a great honor. But I’m the point now where I’m used to (the MVP talk). If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, great.”

The runner-up to Nikola Jokic in 2021 and 2022, Embiid appears to be in a good position to claim his first MVP award in 2023 after leading the NBA with 33.1 points per game and guiding the Sixers to a 54-28 record. Embiid is considered a better defender than Jokic and played about 260 minutes more than Giannis Antetokounmpo, which may help give him a leg up on his fellow finalists.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

As he prepares to face his former team in the first round of the playoffs, James Harden reflected on the criticism he faced a year ago for forcing his way out of Brooklyn to Philadelphia. “There’s a lot of internal things that was going on, which was one of the reasons why I made my decision,” Harden said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “And everybody talked down on me and gave me negative feedback or whatever you want to call it. But now fast forward today, nobody’s like, ‘OK, James was smart, James knew what he was doing.’ Which I don’t want credit, but it’s like, I’m happy where they are now. I mean, best of luck to those guys and (Nets owner) Joe Tsai and that organization. They turned what they had into something really good, so they’re in the playoffs and nothing but great, great talk about those guys and organization.” Harden, of course, was the first of three Nets stars to request a trade; Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving eventually followed suit.
P.J. Tucker‘s 3.5 points and 3.0 field goal attempts per game in 2022/23 represented the lowest marks he has ever posted as an NBA regular. But Tucker’s teammates and opponents recognize the value of the Sixers’ major 2022 free agent addition, especially in the postseason, as Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes in a subscriber-only story. “P.J. was just the aggressor, the starter that got us going,” Bam Adebayo said of his former Heat teammate. “I feel like that’s what defines P.J. … his energy toward, ‘I’m going to do everything right.’ I think you need a P.J. on your team.”
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com examines some of the most important rotation decisions the Sixers will have to make in the postseason, including how to handle the backup center minutes behind Embiid and whether to lock in Tucker and Tobias Harris as every-game closers alongside Embiid, Harden, and Tyrese Maxey.

Injury Notes: Heat, Sixers, Robinson, Mavericks

April 7th, 2023 at 1:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the seventh seed in the East now sewn up, the Heat will rest their three priciest players and their first-round rookie draft pick tonight against the Wizards, the team has announced (Twitter link).

All-Star center Bam Adebayo will be unavailable due to a left quadriceps tendon strain, small forward Jimmy Butler will miss the bout with a right hand contusion, and veteran point guard Kyle Lowry will rest with a knee ailment. Rookie power forward Nikola Jovic will also be out due to a back injury.

Three other players are considered questionable with various maladies. The statuses of guards Tyler Herro and Max Struss are uncertain due to a right quad contusion and a hyperextended right finger, respectively. Veteran big man Kevin Love‘s availability is murky due to a right rib contusion.

Here are more injury notes:

The Sixers will sit All-Star center Joel Embiid, a 2023 MVP hopeful, point guard James Harden, forward P.J. Tucker and shooting guard Tyrese Maxey against the Hawks, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Forward Tobias Harris and reserve guard Jaden Springer are questionable to suit up.
The Knicks have announced that they will rest starting center Mitchell Robinson tonight against the Pelicans (via Twitter). At 47-33, New York is now locked into the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, as the team is three games ahead of the Nets in the East standings with just two games left in its regular season schedule.
The Suns will sit their top four players tonight against the Lakers. Sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter) that Phoenix, playing in the second night of a back-to-back set of bouts, will be without All-Star forward Kevin Durant, All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker, future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, and maximum-salaried center Deandre Ayton against Los Angeles tonight. Charania notes that the Suns have locked up the West’s fourth seed.
The Mavericks tweet that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, guard Josh Green, wing Tim Hardaway Jr., and frontcourt players Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood will all sit out tonight’s game against the Bulls. Dallas is just 0.5 games behind the Thunder for the West’s No. 10 seed, but sitting all these key rotation players appears to signal a subtle surrender of the club’s season. The Mavericks are currently tied for the 10th-worst record in the NBA, and given that they owe a top 10-protected first-round pick to the Knicks this year, it makes sense that they would hope to preserve their future draft selection.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Tucker, Cassell

March 20th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid is continuing the scoring binge that has made him the new betting favorite in the MVP race, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. After posting 15 points in the first half of Saturday’s win at Indiana, Embiid dominated the third quarter with 16 points while making 5-of-7 shots from the field.

The 31-point outing was Embiid’s ninth consecutive game with at least 30 points, breaking the franchise record he shared with Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain. It also earned him the support of Pacers coach Rick Carlisle in the MVP debate.

“Embiid, right now, he’s probably the MVP with what their team is doing and how he’s elevated his game,” Carlisle said. “He’s as difficult a guy to game plan for as there is in the game. He’s a walking NBA cheat code right now. He’s just that good.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

The Sixers transformed from underachievers to potential title winners when James Harden returned in early December after missing 14 games with a strained foot tendon, Pompey observes in another Inquirer article. Philadelphia has the best record in the league since Harden’s second game back, and Pompey credits that to the guard’s decision to facilitate the offense rather than look for his shot. It has also coincided with Embiid’s ascension into MVP front-runner. “Obviously, Joel is going to do what he does,” Harden said. “Making sure Tobias (Harris) and Tyrese (Maxey) and Georges (Niang) and our shooters get their shots. You get that feeling from everybody and everybody clicking like that, which is why rhythm (is) going to be key for us in the playoffs.”
P.J. Tucker sat out Saturday’s game with an ankle issue and wasn’t able to participate in this morning’s shootaround, Pompey tweets. He’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Chicago.
Temple University has expressed interest in hiring Sixers assistant Sam Cassell as its head coach, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Cassell, who has been with the organization since 2020, is focused on his current duties with the team rather than looking for another job, according to Scotto’s sources. Scotto notes that Cassell has worked closely with Maxey since he arrived in Philadelphia.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Harris, Tucker, Dedmon, Niang

March 5th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

To be serious title contenders, the Sixers will need the version of James Harden that they got Saturday night, writes Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. Facing one of the league’s best defenses, Harden turned in a performance reminiscent of his MVP days in Houston. He had 38 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists and led a fourth-quarter comeback as Philadelphia snapped the Bucks’ 16-game winning streak.

“That’s what I do, man,” Harden said. “I’m just very comfortable in those situations whether it’s playmaking, whether it’s scoring. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

Harden has been in the news this week for his upcoming free agency and persistent rumors that he will strongly consider a return to the Rockets. Hofmann states that Harden has been playing at an All-Star level throughout the season and his immediate focus is helping Philadelphia get by the other top teams in the East.

There’s more on the Sixers:

The team has two injury concerns coming out of Saturday’s game, Hofmann adds. Tobias Harris didn’t finish the game because of tightness in his left calf, while P.J. Tucker suffered back spasms and was moving gingerly in the locker room, according to Hofmann.
Even though he didn’t play, Dewayne Dedmon was in uniform on Saturday night, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The veteran center signed with the Sixers on February 14 after agreeing to a buyout with the Spurs following a trade from the Heat. Dedmon is ready for a fresh start after the way his time in Miami ended, but hip soreness has delayed his debut with the Sixers. “At the end of the day, it’s not about motivation,” Dedmon said. “I got mental clarity. For myself, that’s the biggest thing that I need moving forward in my life and my career. I need mental clarity and stability. For me to get traded from there was my mental clarity and my stability.”
Georges Niang has seen his playing time reduced recently because of a shooting slump, but he drained 5-of-6 shots from beyond the arc Saturday. Before the game, he told Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer that the best cure for a slump is to keep shooting. “I just got to get out there and let it fly,” Niang said. “I don’t know how many games it is now, but I’ve had the feeling of getting out there and being like, ‘Oh, I want to get my elbow tucked. I want to do this.’ But I’ve been shooting my whole life. I’ve just got to go out there and let it rip.”

Sixers Notes: Tucker, Butler, McDaniels, Embiid

March 1st, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

P.J. Tucker seemed like a perfect fit during his lone season with the Heat, but he couldn’t turn down the three-year, $33MM offer he got from the Sixers last summer, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The 38-year-old forward said he expected to retire with Miami, but the realities of NBA business pushed him toward Philadelphia.

Multiple sources tell Chiang that the Heat wanted to re-sign Tucker, but they only offered $26.5MM over three seasons through their Non-Bird exception. Miami could have used its $10.5MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to match the offer from Philadelphia, but passed on the opportunity because of Tucker’s age and the limits the deal would have placed on other potential moves.

“I wanted the full mid-level,” Tucker said. “I thought I deserved the full mid-level and that was something that I wanted. They knew that coming out of the gate. I expressed that I wanted that from the beginning. I feel like for what we did, for what we had, I feel like I deserved that and it just is what it is. But I don’t fault them at all. I understand they didn’t want to be hard-capped and wanted to be able to make moves later with whatever they thought the team may need.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Jimmy Butler keeps reminding the Sixers why it was a mistake to trade him, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Butler knocked Philadelphia out of the playoffs last season, and he contributed several clutch plays on Monday as the Heat pulled out a narrow road win. Pompey notes that the Sixers haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since sending Butler to Miami in 2019.
Jalen McDaniels is learning to adjust after being traded to the Sixers at last month’s deadline, Pompey writes in another Inquirer story. Through six games, McDaniels is seeing less playing time and fewer scoring chances than he did with the Hornets. “I will say when I was in Charlotte, (there were) more opportunities with the ball in my hand more,” he said. “But here you have three guys (Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey) that are going to take most of the shots. So just me playing off them is something I can do that’s probably part of my game as well. So I feel like it’s a plus, even though I’m not touching it as much as I was in Charlotte.”
Joel Embiid has been through a series of demoralizing defeats during his time in Philadelphia, but he hasn’t demanded a trade or lost faith in the organization, as Ben Golliver of The Washington Post details.

Heat Notes: Love, Martin, Crowder, Tucker

February 25th, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Love‘s first game with the Heat was forgettable, but there’s reason to believe things will get better, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “We have to just throw that one away,” Love said after going scoreless in a 29-point loss at Milwaukee. However, Jackson points out that the night wasn’t a complete disaster for the veteran big man. He had eight rebounds and four assists and seemed to mesh well with his new teammates after going through just one practice.

Jackson notes that Bam Adebayo tends to excel when he’s paired with tall power forwards who can shoot, which hasn’t been the case for nearly two years. The most prominent examples are Kelly Olynyk and Meyers Leonard, who are both similar to Love in what they can do on the court.

“The biggest thing for me is passing, starting that fastbreak, closing possessions on the defensive end, using my shooting ability to help this team,” Love said. “… Nobody has to cater to me. I want to make the game easier for these guys.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Love’s addition means Caleb Martin is back on the bench after making 49 starts this season, Jackson adds. Martin, who was primarily a reserve during his first three NBA seasons, said he’s willing to accept whatever role coach Erik Spoelstra believes is best. “I prepared myself for something like that to happen,” Martin said. “It’s Spo’s job to figure out the best lineups, how guys fit in. He knows I’m one of those guys that’s willing to do what I’ve got to do.”
New Bucks forward Jae Crowder had Miami on his list of preferred destinations during his long holdout in Phoenix, Jackson tweets. Crowder, who made his season debut Friday night, played for the Heat when they reached the NBA Finals in 2020.
Because of an oddity in the schedule, the Heat won’t get their first look at P.J. Tucker until Monday night, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The defensive specialist played an important role in helping Miami post the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, but he hasn’t fit in as well with the Sixers. “Tuck always figures it out,” Spoelstra said. “I mean if you’re going to judge him by that last line in the box score, you are just really mistaken of how he can impact winning. Tuck does all those little, intangible things that really impact winning, that most people don’t really recognize.”

Eastern Notes: Barnes, Bol, Kispert, Tucker

January 15th, 2023 at 7:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, last season’s Rookie of the Year, has sparked the team during its recent upswing, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes. Barnes has reached the 20-point mark in three of the last four games. Just as important, he’s been setting up his teammates. He had a combined 22 assists in those outings and is averaging 5.4 assists this month.

“He’s an offense creator and we need him to be that,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “That doesn’t mean shooting, that means creating shots for others and creating good movement for others.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Magic big man Bol Bol has returned to the rotation after being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols and sitting out five games, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “I’ve been feeling good so far,” said Bol, who played 18 minutes on Friday. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I feel pretty fine, honestly.”
Wizards forward Corey Kispert has made half of his 3-point attempts over the last seven games and that’s forcing opponents to make adjustments, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The Knicks limited him to four long-range attempts on Friday because of extra defensive attention. “I feel great, the best I’ve felt in my career shooting the ball for sure. I’m really, really happy with where my jump shot is,” Kispert said.
P.J. Tucker was the Sixers’ biggest offseason acquisition via the free agent market but he’s often benched during the fourth quarter. Tucker admits that the criticism he’s taken has been difficult, considering his limited offensive role, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “Can you imagine playing 30 minutes and taking one shot? Maybe not shooting at all? And still having to guard the best player and do all the dirty stuff?” Tucker said.

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Tatum, Sixers, Brunson

January 14th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

On Thursday, in their first game since Kevin Durant injured his knee, the Nets fell to Boston by a score of 109-98. In some ways, Ben Simmons was the most effective player on the court for the Nets, racking up 13 assists and nine rebounds while being the only Brooklyn player to register a positive on-court rating (plus-10). However, he also went scoreless on the night, attempting just three field goals.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Simmons admitted he was probably looking to pass too often, acknowledging that he needs to make it more of a priority to “get myself going,” per Nick Friedell of ESPN.

“Being assertive, being aggressive and knowing that my team needs that,” Simmons said when asked what his team needs from him while Durant is out. “I think I’m giving the ball up way too many times when I know who I am, I know I need to get to the rim, get buckets. And that’s also going to help my teammates get them going.”

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, who is another one of just 18 players in NBA history to hand out at least 13 assists in a game without scoring a point, wasn’t bothered by Simmons’ performance, suggesting that the team needs him to compensate for Durant’s absence more on the other end of the court.

“My thing is going to be on the defensive end with Ben, the impact that he has to have without Kevin on the floor,” Vaughn said. “… Ben’s got to be able to protect the rim. Ben’s got to be able to be a force for us on the defensive end of the floor, so that we can play small, play three guards out there, so we can have shooting around.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Jaylen Brown isn’t the only Celtics star battling an injury — forward Jayson Tatum is dealing with issues affecting his thumb, ring finger, and wrist, but says he intends to continue playing through those ailments, per Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link).
In his latest mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey explores a handful of Sixers-related topics, including the team’s biggest need at the trade deadline and whether De’Anthony Melton could replace P.J. Tucker in the starting lineup. Pompey believes Philadelphia could use a reliable backup point guard and a big, physical center to back up Joel Embiid, and says he doesn’t expect Tucker to be removed from the starting five.
Jalen Brunson has only been with the Knicks for about six months, but it’s clear that they’re already his team, according to Ian O’Connor of The New York Post, who says Brunson is the best player on the roster and “it isn’t close.” The point guard has been at his best since returning from a recent three-game injury absence, averaging 33.3 PPG on .522/.500/.809 shooting in his last six contests, five of which were Knicks wins.