PHOENIX SUNS

The overlooked P.J. Tucker of the Phoenix Suns

Jul 19, 2013, 3:19 PM | Updated: 4:02 pm

In any occupation, a person who doesn’t fit the prototype description often has his or her talents overlooked.

In the NFL, it happened with quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Drew Brees, who were “too short” to play the position. Many teams ignored their skills, yet they still went on to post impressive accomplishments.

Successful wing players in the NBA are thought to be well-built, long, good creators and excellent outside shooters.

When you look at Phoenix Suns guard/forward P.J. Tucker, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, you see a bulky, thick player who is a poor shooter.

His abilities aren’t natural for his position, but it doesn’t mean it can’t work. It actually worked really well for Phoenix last year.

When Tucker was on the court, the Suns were 2.7 points better per 100 possessions offensively and 3.4 points better defensively — good for a total of six points.

Even though last season was only the 28-year-old Tucker’s second in the league, I would argue he has already established himself as an elite NBA defender.

Tucker guarded point guards, shooting guards and small forwards with extreme success. Here’s is a chart with numbers from NBA.com that show the significance of his defense:

James Harden - HOU 16 38 .421 13 25 .520
Chris Paul - LAC 4 10 .400 12 22 .545
LeBron James - MIA 5 13 .385 13 24 .542
Paul Pierce - BOS 5 14 .357 1 1 1.000
Joe Johnson - BKN 5 14 .357 3 5 .600
Carmelo Anthony - NYK 5 15 .333 6 12 .500
Kobe Bryant - LAK 7 29 .241 11 20 .550
Kevin Durant - OKC 26 53 .491 11 23 .478
TOTAL 73 183 .390 70 132 .530

That is a list of some of the elite offensive players in the NBA. When Tucker was playing, they combined to shoot 39 percent compared to 53 percent when he wasn't playing.

What sets Tucker apart from most defenders are his size and incredible foot speed -- it gives him the ability to stay in front quicker players while also having the strength to battle the bullies.

Offensively, I would expect current head coach Jeff Hornacek to make better use of Tucker's unique skills than the previous staff did.

His unusual foot speed that lets him guard smaller players -- meaning those same players also have to defend him. Tucker can be used a significant amount in the post, as an off-ball screener and on-ball screener.

His shooting is going to need to improve; a .525 true shooting percentage isn't going to cut it.

Phoenix Suns

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during th...

Kellan Olson

Suns respond to season’s low point with thorough win over Nuggets

The guessing game of which Suns team shows up on which night persists. The best current version did on Wednesday in a win over the Nuggets.

14 hours ago

Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the second half against the Boston Celtics at T...

David Veenstra

Bradley Beal in, Jusuf Nurkic out for Suns’ matchup with Nuggets

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal is active for Wednesday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets while center Jusuf Nurkic is out.

18 hours ago

Tyler Kolek, Marquette...

Damon Allred

Here’s who Phoenix Suns fans should watch in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

The Suns' first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft sits at No. 19 overall, and they could select a star from the NCAA Tournament.

21 hours ago

Phoenix Suns take on San Antonio Spurs...

Arizona Sports

O’Neale: Phoenix Suns took Spurs ‘too lightly’ in glaring loss

The Phoenix Suns' lack of effort was on display Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs, leading to an honest film session.

2 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Royce O’Neale: Suns took Spurs “a little too lightly”

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale joined Burns & Gambo to talk about the team's disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, and to look ahead at the team's remaining schedule, as they continue to make a push toward the NBA playoffs.

2 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: How the Suns lost to the Spurs before they stepped on the court

Burns & Gambo react to the Phoenix Suns stunning loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, and try to figure out why it happened.

2 days ago

The overlooked P.J. Tucker of the Phoenix Suns