On Monday Night, the Miami Heat got a much needed win against the Detroit Pistons, but that doesn’t mean things are back to normal. Miami still needs to make moves, maybe another bucket getter (cough cough.. Bradley Beal) but Miami definitely needs another big.
In today’s NBA that could mean a stretch four as well. That matters here because the guy we have in mind as that “Big” is P.J. Tucker.
The Miami Heat could really use a guy like P.J. Tucker on their team right now.
Tucker can unlock what worked for Miami last year in the Bubble. As stated in my last piece, Tucker is better than Jae Crowder and though not by much, he is better.
Miami needs to retool, especially at the four position where they their future power forward in Precious Achiuwa but will Erik Spoelstra trust Achiuwa in crunch time? At this point, I don’t think so but having Tucker available when it matters could help make it an easier decision for Coach Spoelstra.
Yes, I know, Tucker isn’t a typical big but Tucker has always played bigger than his listed size of 6’5″ and 245 pounds. More importantly, Tucker’s last couple of seasons with the Houston Rockets has seen him play mostly as the small-ball five.
In Miami, Tucker would slide right in at that four spot. On both sides of the ball, Tucker would fit right in, and especially on defense where Miami is having a hard time having a consistent third defender on the floor.
As I’ve mention before, the importance of starting Crowder last year was that he was Miami’s third best defender in the starting lineup, so it made life a little easier for them everywhere else. This year, Miami has had a lot of staring lineups and as of now, Miami has Kelly Olynyk starting.
As usual, the Olynyk experiment has been up and down. Miami needs some consistency in the starting lineup and Tucker would give Miami that.
Offensively, Tucker would fit in perfectly, providing space and a ball mover. Tucker would be dangerous from the corner as well, which is all Miami needs from him.
Miami needs more consistency in their starting lineup, specifically another defender to help out Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler whenever he returns. Tucker will do the dirty work and not complain about touches on offense.
He could be perfect for the Miami Heat from a culture standpoint and be someone who can step into a role that he already has played in. Miami getting Tucker would be a nice under the radar type of move that could have seismic impact.