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Wisconsin Herd: Rayjon Tucker emerging as leading star, early call up candidate

By Jordan Treske

WILMINGTON, DE - NOVEMBER 23: Rayjon Tucker #12 of the Wisconsin Herd of the Wisconsin Herd dunks the ball on the Delaware Blue Coats during an NBA G League game on November 23, 2019 at the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images)
WILMINGTON, DE - NOVEMBER 23: Rayjon Tucker #12 of the Wisconsin Herd of the Wisconsin Herd dunks the ball on the Delaware Blue Coats during an NBA G League game on November 23, 2019 at the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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As the Wisconsin Herd have gotten off to a furious start to their G League campaign this year, rookie guard Rayjon Tucker‘s rise as a standout contributor has become a key development for his future prospects.

We’re only a little more than two weeks into the 2019-20 G League season, but the Wisconsin Herd already stand as one of the defining stories around the league.

The Herd’s turnaround from cellar dwellers last season to standing near the top of the G League, all of which has been fueled by their current seven-game winning streak, has given the Herd their best start eight games into a season throughout their still young existence as the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate.

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First-year head coach Chase Buford has pushed all of the right buttons so far and the Herd’s all-around dominance currently places them second in net rating (+7.6 points per 100 possessions) and they hold the second-best point differential (+8.3), standing behind the undefeated Memphis Hustle in both categories, per the G League’s stats database.

While there’s been no shortage of contributors behind the Herd’s blazing success this season, rookie swingman Rayjon Tucker has slowly come under the spotlight for the marvelous way he’s been able to adjust to the G League in a short turnaround.

The 22-year-old is fresh off of crafting a pair of fantastic showings after scoring 28 points in the Herd’s win over the Westchester Knicks and putting down 30 points in Wisconsin’s 124-119 victory over the Delaware Blue Coats in a back-to-back set last weekend that closed out the Herd’s perfect four-game road trip.

That’s only boosted what has been an intriguing start to the season for Tucker, who’s averaging 19.8 points on .476/.425/.643 shooting splits, along with 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Tucker essentially stands as the Herd’s leading scorer with Frank Mason III sidelined with a thigh contusion and Bucks big man Dragan Bender staying up with the parent club over the last week.

Tucker’s wide-ranging scoring stands at the center of his great start and it can provide a platform for the Charlotte native to earn a call up to the NBA this season, should he continue to produce at the level that he’s currently performing at.

Being able to space the floor to the degree that Tucker has done is very tantalizing, given both the volume of attempts he’s taken so far (5.0 three-point attempts per game) and the range he’s been able to hit at consistently through the Herd’s first eight tilts. Regarding the latter, 15 of Tucker’s 17 threes this season have come from above the break behind the three-point line and he’s 14-of-33 on shots attempted from 25 to 29 feet, a mark of 42.4 percent.

And Tucker’s ability to create shots with the ball in his hands has been equally effective, especially as he’s been able to slash through and consistently penetrate the heart of opposing defenses to get to the rack. No matter whether it’s in pick-and-roll situations, in isolation or in the open floor, Tucker is a well-rounded on-ball threat, as evidenced by his 64.4 finishing percentage on 45 attempts within the restricted area this year.

That is also coming with Tucker showing off his impressive bounce when attacking the basket to throw down vicious slam dunks, something all Bucks and Herd fans got glimpses of during the former Trojan’s Summer League and preseason showings with the Bucks over the last several months.

Tucker’s ability to create and distribute the ball to others stills lags behind his varied scoring, but he has made some nice strides in that department by currently posting a 1.28 assist-to-turnover ratio with the Herd. For context, Tucker totaled 53 assists and 78 turnovers over his lone season at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock last year, making for a 0.67 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Surely, the enhanced spacing that Buford has enacted by replicating the Bucks’ system has helped Tucker in that regard and it’ll be interesting to see whether Tucker can improve his passing game as the year goes along.

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But what Tucker is already doing is worthy of our full attention, as well as for teams that may be looking for a diamond in the rough to bring on a two-way deal or 10-day contract when they’re available to hand the latter out in early January. Until that becomes a reality, Tucker will continue to be a crucial contributor for the Herd in their bounce back season.

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