PJ Tucker and the Los Angeles Clippers have not exactly seen eye to eye since he was traded to the team from the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this season as part of the larger James Harden deal. On numerous occasions, Tucker has publicly called out the Clippers’ coaching staff–led by Ty Lue–for his lack of playing time, and on Sunday afternoon, his wish was granted, as he was inserted into the starting lineup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
And yet, somehow, Tucker is still (subtly) complaining.
“Tough? Finding out the morning of that you are going to start and play minutes for the first time in five months in the NBA, I don’t know, there’s got to be a better word than tough,” said Tucker, when asked if it was tough to find a rhythm after being out of the lineup for so long, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.
At 36 years old, it’s not clear exactly what skillset PJ Tucker has to offer at this point that his coaches are so cruelly denying from the world. It’s true that Tucker has played a key role on several contending teams in recent years, including the 2021 champion Milwaukee Bucks and the 2022 Miami Heat.
However, his shooting percentages have dipped over the last year, and his ability to keep up with the game’s greatest players as a defender has understandably declined due to his age.
On Sunday, Tucker dropped seven points, six rebounds, and two assists in 25 minutes of action.
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