CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Philadelphia 76ers have a deeper and more talented roster heading into the 2022-23 season than in the past after the front office added solid players to the roster.
One of the additions was 37-year-old PJ Tucker, who joins the team after leaving the Miami Heat in free agency. Tucker brings the attributes the Sixers need at the moment: toughness, veteran play at both ends of the court and the ability to play multiple positions.
Despite his standing just 6-foot-5, the Sixers plan to use Tucker as a backup center at some points. He has played center at different times in his career, most notably with the Houston Rockets. Despite the small stature, the Sixers see it as an advantage to use him as a center.
“Depending on the right matchup, he can be very, very good,” said Rivers. “First off, he’s the spacer. You can have, let’s say, Matisse (Thybulle) on the floor as a roller. You can really just play unorthodox basketball with that. PJ gets in the corner, he’s gonna make the shot. Dragging the 5 out to the corners. Play Minnesota, you know? Making their 5 stand out in the corner, it’s good for us.”
Tucker shot 41.5% from deep in the 2021-22 season with the Heat, and he shot 39% on corner 3s, specifically. That type of production is going to be hugely important for the Sixers moving forward.
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