3 things that P.J. Tucker now brings to the Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks got their man in P.J. Tucker nearly a week out from this year’s trade deadline.

Milwaukee made their high-profile addition for the veteran forward, along with Rodions Kurucs, a 2021 second rounder from Houston and re-acquired their 2022 first round pick for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson and the Bucks’ 2021 and 2023 second round picks.

More from Bucks News

• Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
• Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
• Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
• Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
• New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited

Having long been a player of interest for the Bucks’ front office, the Bucks are certainly banking on Tucker fortifying the Bucks in so many ways on the court, with all of that starting on the defensive end.

So without further ado, let’s run through the three key areas that Tucker will impact as the Bucks load up and integrate him within their system ahead of their eventual playoff run.

P.J. Tucker brings the Milwaukee Bucks his trademark lockdown defending.

Without question, the biggest impact that Tucker will bring to Milwaukee lies on the defensive end. More specifically, it’ll be how Tucker supercharges the Bucks’ defensive overhaul from a stylistic standpoint.

The 35-year-old has long made his bones as one of the most versatile and impactful defenders in the NBA, all of which was on display over his four-and-a-half year stay with the Rockets. As they dove in feet first into their small ball experiment at the end of the James Harden era, Tucker was the biggest reason why the Rockets veered towards such an approach and experienced success doing so.

The Bucks have increasingly taken such an approach this season, all of which came in part due to how inflexible they were built towards the end of last year and in the postseason. Tucker will certainly take things to another level, whether it’s within their drop-back scheme or playing small during crunch time.

Certainly the biggest question that surfaces as a result of the Bucks adding Tucker is how much tread he has left on the tires, so to speak. Given his age and gargantuan workload when playing such a critical role for the Rockets, it’s only fair to wonder where Tucker stands physically, especially as the Bucks are making such a big bet on him being able to hold up over the next few months.

Still, even as Tucker’s athleticism declines, affecting his ability to credibly switch on opposing ball handlers as he regularly did with the Rockets, he still will be necessary when the Bucks are inevitably matched up with the likes of Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons, at minimum. Having a valuable wing defender like Tucker on such assignments will only ease the pressure that the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton to be able create offense at a high level.

Time will tell just how Tucker will be able to make a difference defensively, but his experience, high IQ and attributes are all worth betting on just as the Bucks just did.

P.J. Tucker gives the Milwaukee Bucks a corner 3-point threat

For as much as Tucker’s calling card lies on the defensive end, he’s made his use on the offensively, even while being a historically low-usage player.

It certainly helps that Tucker has been a sturdy and high-volume 3-point shooter over his career. A career 35.9 percent 3-point shooter, no one would confuse Tucker for being a high-level shooter and even his shooting prowess is fairly limited to being a corner threat. To Tucker’s credit, he has been one of the most prolific corner 3-point shooters in NBA history, which includes making the most corner triples during the 2018-19 season.

However, Tucker’s 3-point percentage, even in a small sample size, has taken a dip this year as he’s matched his career-low of 31.4 percent through his 32 appearances on the season. Tucker is shooting 24-for-72 on corner threes this year as well, per NBA.com/stats. It’s not a matter of the many personnel changes that have gone on in Houston either that has affected Tucker’s shooting efficiency as he’s shooting 23-for-68 on wide-open 3-pointers this year (33.8 percent).

For all of this to come while he’s tallying a career-low 7.7 usage percentage, the simple reality is that Tucker has to improve his 3-point shooting proficiency in order to maximize his offensive fit in Milwaukee.

There’s no question that the winning environment will help matters as will the number of leading shot creators the Bucks have in Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton to get the requisite looks Tucker will need to be an adequate floor spacer. From there, it’s just a matter of seeing the shots fall.

P.J. Tucker gives the Milwaukee Bucks much-needed toughness

It’s very easy to dive into cliché territory here, but there’s no question that Tucker gives the Bucks an added toughness and muscle that will be needed when they reach the postseason.

Of the many criticisms that were laid at the Bucks’ feet following their meltdown to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, they certainly lacked a mental fortitude that was best seen in their fourth quarter collapse in Game 3 of that series. That certainly was a priority of the Bucks’ front office and general manager Jon Horst dating back to the start of the offseason, along with improving their offensive efficiency and shot creation.

Of course, Tucker comes from a Rockets team that endured some notable collapses in their recent playoff runs, so Bucks fans aren’t looking to see such repeat performances.

But the point stands of Tucker being a no-nonsense veteran that the Bucks will certainly lean on when times are tough and their backs may be against the wall during a playoff series. With the valuable playoff experience he carries and the Bucks looking to breakthrough their string of playoff disappointments, Tucker will be vital in that department.

When we’ll see Tucker in action remains to be seen, but there’s no question that the Bucks got better with his arrival to Milwaukee. Now it’s all about seeing that get realized on the court.