Phoenix Suns 2013-14 Player Grades: P.J. Tucker

Strengths:

Tucker may need to improve when he attacks the basket, but the Suns certainly don’t mind him standing in the corner and draining open looks that come from good ball rotation and the playmaking skills of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. Last season, Tucker attempted 70 three-pointers and made only percent of them; this year, Tucker more than doubled his number of attempts (191) and made 74 threes (38 percent). Of those 74 made threes, 68(!!) of them came from the corners.

Tucker knows what he is and what he is not (other than when he gets the ball in transition). By restricting his three-point attempts to the corners, where he shoots 41 percent, Tucker adds another dangerous dimension to an offense that finished seventh in the league in points per game (105.2) and eighth in points per 100 possessions (109.5). Goran Dragic-to-P.J. Tucker was one of the league’s best combinations for the highest corner threes this season and you have to give a tremendous amount of credit to Tucker for putting in the work over the summer to add this weapon to his offensive arsenal.

We’d also be remiss if we failed to remind everyone that P.J. Tucker is a damn good perimeter defender. With his combination of strength, lateral speed and all-around intensity, Tucker doesn’t shy away from any defensive matchup. He’s also become a very good rebounder for his position, averaging 6.5 boards per game (which was actually the second-most on the entire Suns team). And yes, although that intensity sometimes goes a tad overboard, Tucker’s competitive fire is what makes him the player he is and he sets a pretty terrific example for the rest of these younger players.