P.J. Tucker narrowly misses out on NBA’s 2020 All-Defensive Teams

With 29 votes out of 100, Tucker had the most votes among all NBA forwards who weren’t selected to either the First Team or Second Team.

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker was not named to either the All-Defensive First Team or Second Team for the 2019-20 season, as per Tuesday’s NBA announcement. The 35-year-old veteran has still yet to be named to an All-Defensive Team during his distinguished career.

Out of a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters, Tucker received 29 Second-Team votes. Forwards who ranked ahead of Tucker included Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis on the First Team, and Kawhi Leonard and Bam Adebayo on the Second Team.

Tucker had the most votes among all other NBA forwards. Among guards, Houston teammate James Harden had one vote to the First Team, while co-star Russell Westbrook had one vote to the Second Team.

In 2019, Tucker missed out on the Second Team by just one point. The Rockets had hoped that Tucker’s unique status in 2020 as a 6-foot-5 starting center in their “small ball” scheme might bring him more attention and accolades, but that was not the case here.

Tucker averaged 6.9 points (35.8% on 3-pointers) and 6.6 rebounds in a career-high 34.3 minutes per game this season.

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In addition to defensive talent and versatility, Tucker is also respected for his leadership, toughness, and durability. He’s yet to miss a single regular-season or postseason game since signing with Houston in July 2017, and he’s played the most games of any NBA player since the 2012-13 season.

Tucker will face off with All-Star big man and First Team member Anthony Davis in Tuesday night’s Game 3 of the second-round playoff series between the Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Central in a national TV broadcast on TNT.

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