14-10, 7th in the West, a wave of 6 consecutive wins, let the Clippers return to the top 8 in the West, after the home victory over the Warriors, the Clippers continued their winning streak, and their current winning streak is the most in the league's existing winning streak. Obviously, the Clippers did not disappoint their fans, as the fans ridiculed, since Wei Shao accepted the bench positioning, the "Northern Expedition" officially began, Harden's positioning was officially determined, Leonard also began to play with ease, regained the top form of the past, other role players performed their duties, and the Clippers found a rotation that suited them. Eager to leave, goodbye to the Clippers, a dip in form is inevitable, and the countdown to your career has begun.
With Westbrook off the bench and Theis joining, several key events changed the situation for the Clippers, and they turned the tide of things. Leonard is once again the all-powerful power forward, Harden is starting to gain freedom on the ball, Theis is a good fit for the Clippers' system, and Zubac is starting to get tougher. This Clippers have begun to make the Western Conference feel fear, not only do they have a number of superstars who can turn the tide, but their roster depth is not bad, the overall strength is strong, and almost everyone has found their role in the Clippers' current rotation lineup. However, there is one exception, and that is PJ Tucker, a 38-year-old veteran who has gradually become a hidden danger on the Clippers' championship path.
It's true that most of the players on the Clippers roster have found their niche, with the exception of Tucker. When he first arrived, Tucker was the Clippers' most consistent backup No. 4 player, and before joining the Clippers, he was one of the 76ers' undisputed starters. However, Tucker has not played in eight consecutive regular season games, and even in garbage time, Tyronn Lue hasn't even considered letting Tucker warm up. From a results standpoint, the Clippers coaching staff made the right decision. According to statistics, in the eight regular season games in which Tucker was abandoned, the Clippers had a 7-1 record, with a winning rate of 87.5%.
Obviously, Tucker's fall out of the rotation has improved and helped the Clippers' strength, which can be clearly seen from the results they have achieved. It can be seen that although Tucker's remaining 2 years of $22.55 million contract has been reduced to a garbage contract, the Clippers have also given him a new positioning, that is, to be the leader of the locker room, coaching young players on the bench. This seems to be a very normal thing, and in the eyes of most people, it is also more reasonable, after all, Tucker is old, whether from a competitive point of view, or in terms of competing for the championship, he can "lie down" to earn money, and he can also have the opportunity to compete for the championship, this kind of good thing, Tucker should gladly accept it. Tucker, however, scoffs at this brand-new character.
In an interview, Tucker bluntly said that he has "no role" with the Clippers, he thinks he still has enough gas in the tank, and in public, he said that he wants to be traded away to a good team, and he believes that he has the ability to help any playoff-caliber team challenge for a championship. Tucker's remarks made many Clippers fans feel uneasy, but more often sad and disappointed. On the unsettling side, Tucker has publicly stated that he wants to leave the team and is unwilling to take on the role that the Clippers have given him, which will certainly have a negative impact on the team's locker room. Now that the Clippers are back on track, it would be frustrating if they were affected by Tucker's emotions.
Secondly, Tucker was traded to the Clippers with Harden, when he played for the Bucks, Tucker won the championship trophy, and Harden was running around for the championship, carrying infamy, and now he finally came to an environment that suits him, and his teammates around him are also very powerful, Harden has also regained his comfortable rhythm, once the team's tacit understanding and harmony are destroyed by his good brother Tucker, this is definitely an extremely frustrating thing. For Tucker, the most important thing he should do is to recognize the current situation, do the tasks assigned to him by the Clippers with peace of mind, and take on his new role. Otherwise, his NBA career may be ended.
In the home game against the Warriors, George was absent, and Tyronn Lue would rather let Coffey, who was not in the rotation, enter the starting lineup and played nearly 30 minutes rather than give Tucker a little trust, which already shows that the Clippers coaching staff has no illusions about Tucker. Coffey also proved with his performance that a No.4 player should do something on the field. On the one hand, three-point shooting needs to be decisive, and on the other hand, defensive flexibility is also something that this Clippers team lacks at the No. 4 position. Kerr can provide that, Tucker can't, at least on the offensive end, and if it weren't for the super open space he had to shoot, Tucker wouldn't even bother to look at the rim.