Clippers Looking for Tweener Forward Center

[Scoundreldays]

Pj Tucker's entitlement is amazing. Washed on a top team in the league and plays like a scrub when he did play. I can't believe he expects to get play time when we have TMann, Coffey and even Brown. Should've taken that buyout if he wants to play so bad.

[esqtvd]

Some people just wanted to make a move for the sake of making a move.

The only reason I was expecting something was because of Leonard’s comments. He said he was just holding the PF spot down until they acquired a player.

And Tucker sure doesn’t sound happy he’s staying. Sheesh.

He wants the rest of his $11.5 million too. Boo hoo.

Oops. My bad. $23 MILLION.

Tucker has a player option worth more than $11.5 million for the 2024-25 season

I could STFU for $23 million. Wave a towel, asssshole.

[jengmann3]

Gallo, thad young both would be pretty nice. I know it would never happen but even Blake would've been nice as the super small ball 5. I don't think Zion bullies him like he bullied theis and plumlee. And when he got opportunities he wasn't bad last year for Boston. Dude's a competitor.

[Fungus_Amongus]

How about JaMychal Green? He wasn't bad last year, why isn't he in the NBA now? He's probably not in the best shape, but Clippers need someone like him and I don't see any other available free agents right now. He has very good length, not a bad defense and 3pt shot. He is very good rebounder for PF and this is what Clippers need the most.

[clipperlover]

He says PJ will be all right and he’ll get an opportunity to play. Ok then.

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Signals to me that Ty wasn't going to waste rotation minutes on P.J. if he wasn't going to be here long term. Now that the trade deadline has passed and P.J. isn't getting bought out, Ty can start to integrate him into the line-up. He knows he will be here for the rest of the year. Don't see him playing vs Minny. However, I think P.J. will be inserted in vs GS to check Draymond. He can get under Draymond's skin. Hopefully, P.J. has been working on his shot.

[MartinToVaught]

Signals to me that Ty wasn't going to waste rotation minutes on P.J. if he wasn't going to be here long term. Now that the trade deadline has passed and P.J. isn't getting bought out, Ty can start to integrate him into the line-up. He knows he will be here for the rest of the year. Don't see him playing vs Minny. However, I think P.J. will be inserted in vs GS to check Draymond. He can get under Draymond's skin. Hopefully, P.J. has been working on his shot.

Nothing about his play this year, or the last couple years really, suggests that he can contribute at all in any role. He's washed.

Lue already ruined last season by coddling Marcus Morris. Please, let's not squander any more seasons by coddling veterans to the detriment of the team.

[esqtvd]

He says PJ will be all right and he’ll get an opportunity to play. Ok then.

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Signals to me that Ty wasn't going to waste rotation minutes on P.J. if he wasn't going to be here long term. Now that the trade deadline has passed and P.J. isn't getting bought out, Ty can start to integrate him into the line-up. He knows he will be here for the rest of the year. Don't see him playing vs Minny. However, I think P.J. will be inserted in vs GS to check Draymond. He can get under Draymond's skin. Hopefully, P.J. has been working on his shot.

Stuck with paying him NEXT YEAR too. Might as well see if he has 6 fouls left in him anyway.

Tucker has a player option worth more than $11.5 million for the 2024-25 season. Players don't sign contracts just to give away player options like that, and Tucker would be turning 40 at the end of the 2025 season.

[Roscoe Sheed]

I think they have to consider Gallinari. He didn't look washed up when he got some PT against the Clippers in Detroit. He can still knock down the 3 and isn't a total liability on defense (at least he didn't appear to be in that game)

[TrueLAfan]

Put this on another thread. Chimezie Mezu is available. He's not a super high rotation guy, but he's played 85% of games in the last three seasons, and has put up consistent, respectable numbers on good teams. 6'10" and 230. He'd help, big time.

[Wammy Giveaway]

Put this on another thread. Chimezie Metu is available. He's not a super high rotation guy, but he's played 85% of games in the last three seasons, and has put up consistent, respectable numbers on good teams. 6'10" and 230. He'd help, big time.

But will he help defeat all teams or just one team? One team's big skills set may excel and turn into a secret weapon vs. one team, but it maybe won't help when it's against another. For a hypothetical example (because I don't know much about his history), let's say Metu becomes kryptonite to Wolves, but not Nuggets or Lakers because of superstar difference: Davis has 9 All-Star appearances; and Jokic is loaded with 6 All-Stars, 2 league MVPs and a Finals MVP; but Towns has only 4 All-Stars which makes him a role star. Metu has never made an All-Star Game, and has zero MVPs of any kind - he's a role player. In the history of basketball, role player bigs don't do well vs. superstar bigs. The more All-Star appearances and prestige awards this player has, the more difficult they become to defeat.

As it is for Metu, his record vs. Nuggets, Wolves and Lakers aren't impressive. He's racked up more DNP-CDs than games, and in the games he has appeared in with at least a quarter (12 MIN) or greater played, he's surprisingly 7-6, with a better shot vs. Lakers (5-2) than either Nuggets (0-2) or Wolves (2-4). Getting a guy to help you defeat a particular team may not work out in the long run, you need a big who can be decent against all teams. That means, a big that provides the services you need plus .500 records or greater vs. teams you may be facing in the playoffs.

Won't matter either way as they're a 2nd apron team. They will need to cut a player first, and if Tucker will not take a buyout they're at an impasse. Does their championship chances actually rest on P.J. Tucker's willingness to take a buyout? What a weird question to ask.

[TrueLAfan]

But will he help defeat all teams or just one team? One team's big skills set may excel and turn into a secret weapon vs. one team, but it maybe won't help when it's against another. For a hypothetical example (because I don't know much about his history), let's say Metu becomes kryptonite to Wolves, but not Nuggets or Lakers because of superstar difference: Davis has 9 All-Star appearances; and Jokic is loaded with 6 All-Stars, 2 league MVPs and a Finals MVP; but Towns has only 4 All-Stars which makes him a role star. Metu has never made an All-Star Game, and has zero MVPs of any kind - he's a role player. In the history of basketball, role player bigs don't do well vs. superstar bigs. The more All-Star appearances and prestige awards this player has, the more difficult they become to defeat.

As it is for Metu, his record vs. Nuggets, Wolves and Lakers aren't impressive. He's racked up more DNP-CDs than games, and in the games he has appeared in with at least a quarter (12 MIN) or greater played, he's surprisingly 7-6, with a better shot vs. Lakers (5-2) than either Nuggets (0-2) or Wolves (2-4). Getting a guy to help you defeat a particular team may not work out in the long run, you need a big who can be decent against all teams. That means, a big that provides the services you need plus .500 records or greater vs. teams you may be facing in the playoffs.

Won't matter either way as they're a 2nd apron team. They will need to cut a player first, and if Tucker will not take a buyout they're at an impasse. Does their championship chances actually rest on P.J. Tucker's willingness to take a buyout? What a weird question to ask.

I think you’re overthinking this a little. I’d love to get a player that was kryptonite to a top team, and/or a high level player that had received some sort of award recognition in the last five years. But that’s not happening for a multitude of reasons. You’re right—Chimizie Metu is a role player. His value to us in that he fulfills a role we lack; a decently sized PF that can spread the floor a little and play against bigs when necessary.

I actually don’t have too much of a problem with our C rotation of Zu, Theis, and Plumlee. The C position is not the problem. The problem is that none of those players is a PF, even part time. Kawhi is essentially our starting PF right now; he’s said he’s “holding the position” until we get someone. He’s not talking about getting another starter. He’s talking about a guy that will take Kobe Brown’s minutes and about 5-6 minutes a game off of Kawhi’s load … which he would make up at SF. (The player that would lose minutes is Mann, because we'd run bigger lineups). That’s the type of player we’re talking about.

The perfect example for us is a guy whose name I’ve mentioned a bunch. Metu had a chance to get more of a role on a very good team, but Trey Lyles outplayed him and got that role. Right now, Lyles is the 7th man for the Kings. He’s averaging 8 and 5 in 20 minutes a game, playing about two thirds of his minutes at PF. That is *exactly* what we need—and Trey Lyles is, honestly, a role player too. We need a player like that.

[ERClips]

But will he help defeat all teams or just one team? One team's big skills set may excel and turn into a secret weapon vs. one team, but it maybe won't help when it's against another. For a hypothetical example (because I don't know much about his history), let's say Metu becomes kryptonite to Wolves, but not Nuggets or Lakers because of superstar difference: Davis has 9 All-Star appearances; and Jokic is loaded with 6 All-Stars, 2 league MVPs and a Finals MVP; but Towns has only 4 All-Stars which makes him a role star. Metu has never made an All-Star Game, and has zero MVPs of any kind - he's a role player. In the history of basketball, role player bigs don't do well vs. superstar bigs. The more All-Star appearances and prestige awards this player has, the more difficult they become to defeat.

As it is for Metu, his record vs. Nuggets, Wolves and Lakers aren't impressive. He's racked up more DNP-CDs than games, and in the games he has appeared in with at least a quarter (12 MIN) or greater played, he's surprisingly 7-6, with a better shot vs. Lakers (5-2) than either Nuggets (0-2) or Wolves (2-4). Getting a guy to help you defeat a particular team may not work out in the long run, you need a big who can be decent against all teams. That means, a big that provides the services you need plus .500 records or greater vs. teams you may be facing in the playoffs.

Won't matter either way as they're a 2nd apron team. They will need to cut a player first, and if Tucker will not take a buyout they're at an impasse. Does their championship chances actually rest on P.J. Tucker's willingness to take a buyout? What a weird question to ask.

I think you’re overthinking this a little. I’d love to get a player that was kryptonite to a top team, and/or a high level player that had received some sort of award recognition in the last five years. But that’s not happening for a multitude of reasons. You’re right—Chimizie Metu is a role player. His value to us in that he fulfills a role we lack; a decently sized PF that can spread the floor a little and play against bigs when necessary.

I actually don’t have too much of a problem with our C rotation of Zu, Theis, and Plumlee. The C position is not the problem. The problem is that none of those players is a PF, even part time. Kawhi is essentially our starting PF right now; he’s said he’s “holding the position” until we get someone. He’s not talking about getting another starter. He’s talking about a guy that will take Kobe Brown’s minutes and about 5-6 minutes a game off of Kawhi’s load … which he would make up at SF. (The player that would lose minutes is Mann, because we'd run bigger lineups). That’s the type of player we’re talking about.

The perfect example for us is a guy whose name I’ve mentioned a bunch. Metu had a chance to get more of a role on a very good team, but Trey Lyles outplayed him and got that role. Right now, Lyles is the 7th man for the Kings. He’s averaging 8 and 5 in 20 minutes a game, playing about two thirds of his minutes at PF. That is *exactly* what we need—and Trey Lyles is, honestly, a role player too. We need a player like that.

I know it’s not happening this season so I’m not suggesting it as an option, but do you think Kobe Brown can be developed into this type of power forward that we lack? Say next season or beyond. We need someone proven right now just wondering what some on this board think about him since he’s been replaced in the rotation.

[Captain Ballmer]

Now that Kawhi will miss the Warriors game and more probably OKC-Memphis Btb after all star break, he won't be there to fill the blanks. And if that injury is grade 2 instead of grade 1, then he will probably miss full 6 weeks, come back in April. It's going to get ugly in the PF rotation. I hope we waive one of Boston or Primo to sign Metu.

[HardenGoat]

PJ might be washed especially offensively but I think he should get some defensive assignments. What he does is slow the drive to funnel a player into the center. I think he could have helped against Minnesota more than people realize. He has some value there

[KL2]

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Amid three months of frustrations, PJ Tucker will be away from the Clippers starting Wednesday for an opportunity to reset for the stretch run of the season and he is expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break, according to league sources.

The Clippers and Tucker have had productive discussions this week about the disgruntled forward staying ready for potentially re-entering the rotation, according to league sources. The conversations stemmed from weeks of boiling frustrations surrounding Tucker and his lack of playing time, according to those sources. It led to much-needed and strong conversations among all parties, those sources said.

After The Athletic reported on Dec. 11 that Tucker and the Clippers were discussing a resolution to his frustration via a move elsewhere or internally, no deal occurred at last week’s trade deadline. A buyout has not gained traction yet as Tucker has a $11.5 million player option for next season.

Now, Tucker and the Clippers are expected to move forward after the All-Star break with an openness to re-inserting him into the rotation as the franchise enters the stretch run of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Bones too. Just lovely.

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[Wammy Giveaway]

Now that Kawhi will miss the Warriors game and more probably OKC-Memphis Btb after all star break, he won't be there to fill the blanks. And if that injury is grade 2 instead of grade 1, then he will probably miss full 6 weeks, come back in April. It's going to get ugly in the PF rotation. I hope we waive one of Boston or Primo to sign Metu.

Add Hyland to the possible list of players waived. They won't release Tucker for fear of making one of their opponents even stronger. Already there are growing murmurs of former Clipper Marcus Morris joining with Timberwolves, the only team Clippers have yet to defeat.

Again, I ask: does the Clipper's shot at their first title rest on P.J. Tucker, more specifically, him taking a buyout? This is much different from Westbrook giving up his superstar status to become a role player; this is a role player needing to realize that he hurts the team by simply being on the roster. Talk about an oxymoron, if not a paradox.

[KL2]

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[KL2]

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[clipperlover]

Gallo's size and shooting make him an upgrade over Tucker/Hyland and the end of bench guys. He doesn't need to get major minutes.

[esqtvd]

PJ might be washed especially offensively but I think he should get some defensive assignments. What he does is slow the drive to funnel a player into the center. I think he could have helped against Minnesota more than people realize. He has some value there

"6 Fouls Tucker."