Phoenix Suns: Encouraging Signs From The Bench
P.J. Tucker
2014-15 Stat Line: 28.3 MPG 6.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 36.0 FG%, 35.7 3P%
Tucker’s well-rounded stat line doesn’t quite do him justice in terms of the impact he’s had off the bench. After serving his three-game suspension for a super extreme DUI back in May, there were concerns about rust and how he’d handle a role as a reserve.
With Jeff Hornacek opting to start Marcus Morris at small forward, Tucker was going to have to work extra hard to prove that he was not only worthy of closing games, but also deserving of the support of fans disappointed by his offseason choices.
So far, he’s done all he can on both fronts. In Tucker’s first game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers, his shot wasn’t falling and he started the game 0-for-4 from the floor. But when Hornacek needed a stop, he turned to Tucker to shut down Kobe Bryant. Tucker got the rebound from a Bryant miss and on the ensuing possession, drilled a dagger three-pointer to put the Suns up seven with 19 seconds left. It was the perfect P.J. Tucker game, basically.
Hornacek on Tucker- "He's our most aggressive player, we need that intensity from everyone. I'll have to get him in earlier I guess." #Suns
— Jeffrey Sanders (@JeSanders11) November 8, 2014
In a disappointing double overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings, Tucker did everything in his power to prevent the Suns from losing that game. He finished with 15 points and seven boards, made three of his eight three-point attempts and played stellar defense on both Rudy Gay and even DeMarcus Cousins down the stretch.
Tucker struggled with a shot in Phoenix’s most recent victory over the Golden State Warriors, but the turning point in the game was once again engineered by the Suns’ do-it-all hustle guy. With the Suns trailing 80-77 in the fourth quarter, Leandro Barbosa drove to the hoop in an attempt to stifle a Phoenix run. Tucker swatted the shot and found Gerald Green on the break for a three-pointer that tied the game and ignited the crowd.
From there it was all Green and Isaiah Thomas, but Tucker’s hustle was the cause of the momentum shift that helped Phoenix pull away. He finished with only two points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, but his value was revealed in the plus/minus column: +24 in 29 minutes. In Tucker’s case, it doesn’t matter who starts games, but who finishes them.
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