Grade: C
At this point, P.J. Tucker is who he is. He’ll never be a go-to scorer and at the age of 29, he’ll probably never make an NBA All-Defensive Team (especially on this Suns team). But despite his limitations as a basketball player, Tucker was probably the most consistently competitive player on the roster.
Tucker is a very good defender who uses brute force to defend numerous positions. Surrounded with the right defensive personnel, his versatility on that end would be a major asset. But with Tucker constantly having to guard stronger power forwards, he was often overpowered in the paint.
Tucker is a good rebounder for his position, and though his three-point shooting fell off a bit this season, he’s the closest thing this Suns team has to a veteran locker room presence right now.
“I know we need to win games, I know what it takes,” Tucker said after the Wizards game. “We got guys that can shoot the ball, that can finish at the basket, so getting those extra possessions, getting offensive rebounds when teams fall asleep, we want to be the best conditioned team in the league so going to the glass every single time….it’s the little stuff that wins games.”
That being said, isn’t it a tad worrisome that Tucker is this team’s closest thing to a leader? He may be one of the older players in Phoenix, but this was only his fourth season in the league. He’s never been a star player and between his technical fouls, missing the team bus and that offseason super extreme D.U.I., he hasn’t always set the best example for the younger guys.
Until the Suns get a player who’s been in a playoff environment before AND can still actively contribute and lead (sorry, Danny Granger), Tucker will continue to be labeled — and criticized — as a locker room leader. Though he leads by example on the court with his hustle plays, toughness and defensive intensity, sometimes he takes it too far and hurts the team.
@brentonl98 His defense, rebounding & energy are essential because the team often lacks in each of those areas. But they're high on Warren.
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) February 8, 2015
The question heading into the 2015-16 season is whether T.J. Warren should get the start at small forward. Warren still has a long way to go as an NBA player, but he’s younger and represents the future. Unless the Suns make some big moves this summer, they won’t be contending for a title next season. Instead, they’ll be focusing on developing the young guys.
To that end, it might be better to pull the preemptive trigger and start Warren over Tucker next season. That would be unfortunate for Tucker, who has given this franchise nothing but 110 percent since he first arrived in Phoenix. But as the 2014-15 season showed us, this team can’t get to where it needs to go with P.J. Tucker starting at small forward.
More 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades:
Jerel McNeal
Danny Granger
Brandan Wright
Earl Barron
Marcus Thornton
T.J. Warren
Archie Goodwin
Alex Len
Marcus Morris
Gerald Green
Reggie Bullock
Next: Phoenix Suns: 10 Worst Moments Of 2014-15