76ers Training Camp: P.J. Tucker Already Making Impact as Vocal Leader
This offseason, Daryl Morey put all his efforts into bolstering the cast of players around the Sixers’ star duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden. Among the players brought in was veteran forward P.J. Tucker.
Despite being 37 years old, Tucker has still proven to be a valuable piece for contenders. Last season for the Miami Heat, he averaged 7.6 PPG and 5.5 RPG while shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc.
In his short time with the Sixers, Tucker is already stepping up and making his presence known. Doc Rivers recently opened up on how the veteran’s championship resume is helping him establish himself as a leader.
He’s the only one on our team, player-wise, that has won a championship, and so, he’s actually been through the fire and he was explaining to the guys, ‘I thought I knew what winning was about until I played for the Bucks and I realized, the things that I thought were not true. You gotta sacrifice, you gotta do so many other things.’ He basically told those guys, ‘You have no idea how much you have to give’ so it’s good to hear that voice. Per Ky Carlin of USA Today.
P.J. Tucker Filling a Void in the Sixers’ locker room
For teams looking to compete for a championship, having veterans with playoff success is essential. As someone who has climbed the mountaintop before, players will listen to Tucker when he talks about winning at the highest level.
In the past, the Sixers had Danny Green to fill this role in the locker room. However, the veteran marksman was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on draft night for De’Anthony Melton. Thankfully, the Sixers have a new veteran to take on this role.
Some might feel the Sixers overpaid to land Tucker in free agency, but his experience will prove to be valuable in the team’s pursuit of a title in the coming years.
Mandatory Credit: NBA.com
