The Milwaukee Bucks have reconstructed their roster significantly over the past several months, with one of the most impactful additions being P.J. Tucker.
While the forward has been solid since coming over in March via trade – thanks to some masterful work from general manager Jon Horst – his best performance yet came in these playoffs. Among the many storylines stemming from yesterday’s Game 4 win over the Brooklyn Nets, Tucker’s fantastic play on both ends was certainly among the most prominent.
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Tucker was zeroed in defensively on guarding Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant all afternoon. He was simply phenomenal by holding the former league MVP to just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting as his primary defender.
Furthermore, the forward was scoring efficiently on the offensive end, which has been scarce since being traded. Tucker finished with double-digit points for the first time with the Bucks, logging 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
Tucker’s efforts helped the Bucks even up the series 2-2 and showcased along the way why he could be the secret weapon for this team’s success.
The Milwaukee Bucks will need P.J. Tucker to play a key role moving forward in the NBA Playoffs to maximize their success.
The endgame with the Tucker trade was about having him for the postseason and keeping him out of another team’s possession to utilize against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
With a reputation as one of the grittiest defenders in the association, the Bucks wanted players like that on their side for their playoff run. That defensive prowess that they coveted when making a deal has been on full display in these playoffs so far, with Tucker not shying away from guarding some household names. According to NBA.com/stats, the forward did a fantastic job of guarding Jimmy Butler by holding him to just nine points on 2-of-12 shooting from the floor across 47.1 partial possessions in Milwaukee’s sweep of the Miami Heat.
Despite how well he played Butler, everyone knew Durant would be a taller task, given his stature as one of the greatest scorers ever to play this game. Yet, Tucker has done his part defensively to keep Durant in check, surrendering 49 points on 20-of-44 shooting from the floor, including an abysmal 4-of-14 from downtown across 111.1 partial possessions. Durant has also coughed up six turnovers with Tucker as the primary defender, showcasing just how impactful Tucker can be on the defensive end, highlighted by his masterclass in Game 4.
Not many teams in the association have a player of Tucker’s capabilities. Throwing him into a lineup with other defensive aces like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday makes the Bucks that much scarier, given that Tucker can reliably hold his own against the biggest stars in the world and let those other players go to work elsewhere.
While everyone knows Tucker will leave it all on the floor defensively, he is more of a wildcard offensively. Before his eruption of 13 points in Game 4, the forward had scored a combined nine points in the first three matchups with the Nets and 12 total versus the Heat in the last round. While he has never been a scoring threat, Tucker is certainly one of the best corner shooters ever to hit the floor, and he lived up to that role by knocking down several yesterday.
Finding consistency with that outside shot could be crucial for the Tucker and the Bucks, as he had been 1-of-8 from deep over the first three games in this series. If Tucker plays that gritty defense that he is known for and hit big shots on the other end from his sweet spot in the corner, he only makes this Milwaukee team that much more dangerous.
And that only highlights what the forward has done for the Bucks statistically. Since coming aboard, Tucker has brought an edge to this team, helping this group embrace a stouthearted mentality that they have lacked previously. This was on full display as he went nose-to-nose with Durant in Game 3, ensuring that he would not back down from any opponent. That presence has certainly toughened up these Bucks, which they desperately needed after being punched in the mouth in the first two games of this series.
If Tucker continues playing as he did in Sunday’s Game 4 win, he could be in the market for a big payday this offseason, hopefully with Milwaukee.