PJ Tucker opens up on his lack of scoring, focused on helping Sixers win
ORLANDO–The Philadelphia 76ers brought in PJ Tucker at the outset of free agency on a 3-year $33 million deal hoping he would be the missing piece to their championship quest. The veteran out of Texas has a title under his belt with the Milwaukee Bucks and has had success everywhere he’s been.
On the season, he’s averaging just 3.7 points and shooting 38.7% from deep. Now Tucker has never been one to put up a bunch of scoring numbers in his career, but the lack of scoring has been glaring recently with the Sixers missing so many pieces.
In 11 games in November, Tucker is averaging just 1.8 points and shooting 23.1% from deep and 29.6% from the floor overall. Break it down even further and he has scored a grand total of three points over the last six games combined, but the team is also 4-2 in those games despite being short-handed.
“As long as we’re winning, it don’t matter,” Tucker said on Sunday morning at shootaround. “Of course, you want more shots, what player don’t? But with the way we play–coach talks about a lack of ball movement all the time. It’s one of those things. Sometimes you get shots, sometimes you don’t, you keep playing, and figure it out.”
With that being said, it does seem often in games that Tucker is open in the corner early in games, but the Sixers don’t get him the ball. When he does finally take a shot, it’s in the second half and he isn’t in rhythm to catch-and-shoot.
That is a product of the ball beginning to stick and as the veteran of the group, Tucker points that out often. Especially, without Joel Embiid and James Harden.
“Of course, but it’s part of the game,” Tucker added. “Sometimes you get shots, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes the ball moves, sometimes it don’t. Without having Jo, ball gotta pop. Ball gotta move, make easy shots for each other. It is what it is.”
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When the Sixers have Harden out there, it makes everybody’s job a bit easier. The future Hall of Famer is able to just get out there and run the offense, but without him, the ball has to move more and it’ll give Tucker more of a chance to be involved with the offense.
“It’s different with James because James kinda controls the game,” Tucker finished. “He gets everybody the ball. Without James, it’s tough, that’s why the ball has to move even more.”
The Sixers will take on the Orlando Magic on Sunday before returning home to take on the Atlanta Hawks.
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