As the offseason gets into its dog days, it’s safe to assume most NBA rosters are what they are at this point. The Milwaukee Bucks don’t have much room to operate and very few holes left to fill, so it’s time to take stock of the roster.
Specifically, one thing that is on everyone’s mind is which player can fill the invaluable role left by P.J. Tucker‘s departure to the Miami Heat. Tucker stepped in after Donte DiVincenzo’s injury and provided toughness, defense, and a veteran presence throughout the championship run. He also coined the “We Dogs” saying and was an absolute blast at the parade — a very important factor we must consider!
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In all seriousness, there’s going to be a massive hole that needs filling in the rotation (and most likely the locker room) without Tucker after a fantastic playoff run with the Bucks.
There’s certainly no easy way to replace the 36-year-old, but there are a couple of intriguing names on the roster that could do some of what Tucker did on the court.
The two most likely candidates to take some of those responsibilities are the incumbent Bobby Portis and the newly-signed Semi Ojeleye. Most of the other rotation options are either too small (in the case of guards like George Hill and Grayson Allen) or not at the same level as a defender (Rodney Hood or Jordan Nwora).
That being said, Portis and Ojeleye aren’t perfect replacements, but each provides something that could give the Bucks similar flexibility with their lineups and schemes. Here is a closer look at how Portis and Ojeleye could fill in for Tucker’s absence next season.
How Bobby Portis can be a P.J. Tucker replacement for the Milwaukee Bucks
I know it’s a hard sell for me to say that the 6-foot-10, 250 pound Bobby Portis can be a replacement for the 6-foot-5, 245 pound P.J. Tucker, but hear me out.
The first thing is not very tangible, but it’s energy. Every Bucks fan (or anyone who watched the NBA Playoffs, for that matter) knows the energy that Portis brings to the floor. Fans fell in love with Portis for his infectious energy.
Tucker wasn’t as energetic as Portis, but in simply being a presence on the floor, they have their similarities. Like Tucker, Portis isn’t afraid of anyone and will take on any challenge (in multiple senses). I fully expect Portis to take on more of a leadership role this coming season as he’s become more comfortable with his teammates, as well as now that he has the confidence of being a champion and played at a high level in big moments.
From an on-court perspective, you’ll see Portis take a big of that role as well. Although head coach Mike Budenholzer didn’t think he could play Portis against the Brooklyn Nets, the 26-year-old found ways to stay on the floor in the following rounds by allowing the Bucks to play a switchable defense with Brook Lopez off the floor.
According to NBA.com/stats, in the playoffs, the lineup of Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Pat Connaughton was +32.5 in 27 minutes, including an 81.0 defensive rating. While it’s not a terribly large sample, it provides a good indicator that those lineups can work for Milwaukee when they have Portis out there with the Big 3 and another switchable defender (such as Connaughton or DiVincenzo).
Portis isn’t on the same level as Tucker as a defender, but he showed in the playoffs that he can be a reliable option when called upon and can help the Bucks unlock some of their small-ball lineups the same way that Tucker did. On offense, Portis provides much more value than Tucker with his shooting. Portis shot 47.1 percent on triples in the regular season and ranked third on the team in 3-point percentage in the playoffs behind Connaughton and Bryn Forbes.
Most of Tucker’s value on offense in the playoffs came from crashing the glass for offensive rebounds, something Portis did at a higher rate than Tucker as well.
While he’s not a perfect replacement, Portis can provide some of what Tucker was able to do defensively and more value on the offensive end.
How Semi Ojeleye can be a P.J. Tucker replacement for the Milwaukee Bucks
If there’s anyone who is the most clear-cut Tucker replacement, it’s Semi Ojeleye.
Like Tucker, Ojeleye is a defense-first forward that has similar builds and strength. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, you couldn’t find a closer replication to Tucker unless you cloned him. He’s incredibly strong, and his workout routines are legendary, and Bucks fans can remember him guarding Antetokounmpo — another incredibly strong man.
I want to preface this by saying that Tucker is a better defender than Ojeleye, but there is reason to believe that the 26-year-old could do some things that the 36-year-old could not at this stage of his career.
As an isolation defender, Ojeleye held opponents to a very solid 0.87 points per possession while Tucker was at 1.00 in his time with the Bucks in the regular season, per NBA.com/stats. Tucker did see that number drop to an impressive 0.66 in the playoffs, and that’s where we could see a gap between them.
Ojeleye does have work to do guarding pick and roll ball handlers, but he has held opponents under a point per possession the last two seasons. That’s an area where we saw Tucker often used in the playoffs to help with the Bucks’ switching defense.
Offensively, Ojeleye is an inconsistent shooter, but his overall percentages were about the same as Tucker’s. Ojeleye has shot just over 37 percent the last two seasons, while Tucker was at 35 percent in the same time. Tucker also cut his attempts in half this past year (including in the playoffs), which drastically hindered his value. Ojeleye also shot the three at a decent clip from above the break, something Tucker essentially never did.
It’s never easy to replace a player who was so crucial to what the Bucks did in their championship run like P.J. Tucker. But there’s reason to believe they have players in place who can do a little bit of what he brought to the team and can help ease the blow of losing him.