The What If Game? What If We Re-Signed Tucker?

[ruckus]

As a whole, I think we had a decent off-season considering the restraints under which Masai was working in (and to be fair, the restraints he placed himself within). However, it still stings that Tucker took less to go elsewhere. PJ would have really rounded out this roster and give me belief that we could challenge for the #1 seed in the East (assuming we still made the other moves).

Starting Line-Up:
Lowry
Derozan
Tucker
Ibaka
Valanciunas

Key Back-Ups:
Wright
Powell
Miles
Siakam
Poeltl

Without Tucker, we lose defensive flexibility at the 3/4 position not to mention that PJ could stick the open corner 3. In addition, it would have allowed us to move Miles to a 6th man role bringing stability to a very young bench group.

Am I overvaluing PJ's contributions here?

[dukes_wild]

Yes.

Tucker was what he was, a really good (but not all-NBA team) defender but nothing more. Offensively he's nothing aside from maybe 1.5-2 threes per game and an offensive rebound or two

[bigmandinky]

Doubt we would've signed Miles if we'd resigned Tucker due to the luxury tax. IMO, Tucker is a nice player and all but getting CJ is better for us. Even with how good our defence was after the All Star Break, it didn't make much of a different in the playoffs where our role players couldn't hit shots and our spacing was trash, putting way more pressure on ourselves to defend.

[Cyrus]

We'd have to made another move to trade a player like Trading Val with Poelt to dump his salary to fit Tucker. Or Trading Val with some picks or something.

[C_Money]

He was okay. Definetly got a bit overrated around these parts just like every hustle player does. That said, we still need another wing player off the bench. Looks like Masai is just going to go with rookies and D League scrubs.

[Johnny Bball]

I think Tucker is a good bench guy and with our bench, the defense could stiffen with few to no weak links, but our PNR defense at times isn't/wasn't good, so he's not as good/useful in the starting lineup.

I think the same will apply to Houston and he will play mostly with the bench, since playing with Anderson on the floor seems to be a waste.

[jonny three time]

If we re-signed Tucker, then there's no Miles. We would have probably then signed a shooter like Babbitt or Tolliver to help with the shooting woes. That was my plan anyway. Sign Tucker or Mbah a Moute or Sefolosha. Then sign a depth stretch 4 for dirt cheap.

Masai must have more faith in OG, Bruno and Siakam than I do. One of OG or Bruno needs to fill the big SF defender role, while one of Siakam or Bruno needs to fill the bench stretch PF role. If at least 2 of those guys don't step up, we could slide back as a team.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

He was okay. Definetly got a bit overrated around these parts just like every hustle player does. That said, we still need another wing player off the bench. Looks like Masai is just going to go with rookies and D League scrubs.

[macNcheese3]

Definitely would have been nice to have PJ back- just wasn't going to work for us.

[dalton749]

He would have been a great mentor for og, but I think it's probably better this way because he would be getting all the minutes that og will now have a shot to earn when he's back. I have a feeling we will forget about Tucker pretty quick.

[Rapcity_11]

The idea that:

1. Tucker took less to leave (marginal difference considering all the factors)
2. Miles would have been signed/acquired if Tucker re-signed

...are both almost assuredly false.

[NeoDragonKnight]

PJ is one of those great veteran leaders to have on a team, you could see him pushing those around him to play harder or correctly in his time here. Despite the hate he got Chuck Hayes was the same way, he would literally push the young players into the correct positions on the floor during plays and keep everyone talking, even when he was on the rockets, he was considered their leader. Oakley of course was that guy during the VC years.

Iguodala is that type of veteran guy for GSW.

Its getting harder and harder to get these guys as the NBA has fewer and fewer of them around and embrace that role.

In the end, not sure if it really tips the scale, and it is harder to quantify because their personal stats do not always tell the full tale of their impact on influencing younger players habits and leading, and every discussion here will always lead to people staring at stats and not whats happening on the floor (rightfully or wrongfully) but, I still think these type of vets helps a lot.

[lolwut]

PJ is one of those great veteran leaders to have on a team, you could see him pushing those around him to play harder or correctly in his time here. Despite the hate he got Chuck Hayes was the same way, he would literally push the young players into the correct positions on the floor during plays and keep everyone talking, even when he was on the rockets, he was considered their leader. Oakley of course was that guy during the VC years.

Iguodala is that type of veteran guy for GSW.

Its getting harder and harder to get these guys as the NBA has fewer and fewer of them around and embrace that role.

In the end, not sure if it really tips the scale, and it is harder to quantify because their personal stats do not always tell the full tale of their impact on influencing younger players habits and leading, and every discussion here will always lead to people staring at stats and not whats happening on the floor (rightfully or wrongfully) but, I still think these type of vets helps a lot.

The only thing Chuck Hayes led was a cabal.

[ontnut]

He was probably my favourite player for a couple games, but for as great a guy and defensive player as he is, he a) didn't do much to stop Lebron, or Giannis and b) was completely useless on O, and pretty bad from 3.

So, he did very little of what he was specifically brought in to do, and therefore, I'm not so sad to see him go.

As a vet player/coach, I'd bring him back on the vet min, because he was good for our locker room, but for the money he got, I'm fine with letting him leave.

[YogurtProducer]

If we somehow kept Tucker and got Miles and played a starting lineup of Lowry/Demar/Miles/PJ/Serge I like that a lot.

[Yeezus_]

If we somehow kept Tucker and got Miles and played a starting lineup of Lowry/Demar/Miles/PJ/Serge I like that a lot.

Lowkey a lineup of Lowry/Powell/OG/PJ/Ibaka can switch on practically everything. Would've been beautiful to watch on defense like the GSW death lineup.

[ruckus]

If we somehow kept Tucker and got Miles and played a starting lineup of Lowry/Demar/Miles/PJ/Serge I like that a lot.

Lowkey a lineup of Lowry/Powell/OG/PJ/Ibaka can switch on practically everything. Would've been beautiful to watch on defense like the GSW death lineup.

Wright/Powell/OG/Siakam/Ibaka might achieve the same results. And, if you can throw Bruno's length into that mix as well? The offense would be ugly as hell unless they go full-out transition but, the defense would be pretty good.

[Yeezus_]

If we somehow kept Tucker and got Miles and played a starting lineup of Lowry/Demar/Miles/PJ/Serge I like that a lot.

Lowkey a lineup of Lowry/Powell/OG/PJ/Ibaka can switch on practically everything. Would've been beautiful to watch on defense like the GSW death lineup.

Wright/Powell/OG/Siakam/Ibaka might achieve the same results. And, if you can throw Bruno's length into that mix as well? The offense would be ugly as hell unless they go full-out transition but, the defense would be pretty good.

Completely agree but that's a really young lineup and Casey would get a heart attack.

Siakam has a place in this league with his versatility. If he can hit the 3 with consistency, he'll be a valuable player on any team.

[YogurtProducer]

Lowkey a lineup of Lowry/Powell/OG/PJ/Ibaka can switch on practically everything. Would've been beautiful to watch on defense like the GSW death lineup.

Wright/Powell/OG/Siakam/Ibaka might achieve the same results. And, if you can throw Bruno's length into that mix as well? The offense would be ugly as hell unless they go full-out transition but, the defense would be pretty good.

Completely agree but that's a really young lineup and Casey would get a heart attack.

Siakam has a place in this league with his versatility. If he can hit the 3 with consistency, he'll be a valuable player on any team.

In 3 years I bet we see a Wright/Powell/OG/Siakam/Poeltl team for a year gie or take a player or two

[LiSTWithLani]

You're not overvaluing him at all. He played a role, but that role was integral, given our personnel.