PJ Tucker Appreciation Thread

[Superbone]

I don't think Saucy was going to start this so I figured I had better. Thanks PJ for all your years of service, hard work, and dedication to the franchise. You left it all out on the court. You were a 4 year running Majerle hustle award winner for the Suns. You toiled in Europe and came back and made an impact on the Suns. You weren't afraid to body up bigger players. For all that, we thank you! Best of luck on the Raptors and finally being able to experience the playoffs.

[carey]

Thank you, PJ. You frustrated me nightly but at least you gave 100% every time out. That's more than most can say. Good luck in T-dot.

[Mori Chu]

Thanks for making this thread. The fact that many people here wanted PJ gone says as much about our team as it does about PJ. We wanted to lose, and here was this veteran busting his ass playing hard for 30+ minutes a night. While his reputation on D got somewhat distanced from his play as years went on, he was still probably our best overall 1-on-1 defender on the team. And he deserved each one of those meaningless Hustle Awards. Nobody worked harder.

I think we would have appreciated him more if we were making a playoff run and he were coming in off the bench, playing his ass off for 18 minutes, defending the heck out of the other team's best swingman for short stretches, helping us grind out better point margins while our starting forwards were at rest. He didn't ask to be playing 30+ minutes nor to be taking the last shot at the end of close games. That wasn't the right role for him.

Side question: Who is the longest-tenured current Sun? Bledsoe? (Ignoring Duds and Barbs because they have interrupted tenures here)

[Split T]

Who came first, Bledsoe or Len?

Edit: Len was drafted two weeks before we traded for Bledsoe

[SDC]

i was hoping to see tucker in an LA clips uniform

[carey]

Yeah, it's Len who might be gone in 4 months also.

[Shabazz]

Side question: Who is the longest-tenured current Sun? Bledsoe? (Ignoring Duds and Barbs because they have interrupted tenures here)

Every player on the roster is now a McDonough player. Tucker was the last holdover from the last regime.

[MightyMoog]

I always liked the guy. He played hard and played well. He's the type of player that you'll hate when he's on the other team. I'm glad they traded him to good situation.
I hope he's a thorn in Lebron's side during the playoffs.

[Nodack]

Thank you PJ. You gave us all you had and that's all you can ask of anyone. Not everybody liked you. I did. You will get over the Suns after you are the in the playoffs.

[specialsauce]

I don't think Saucy was going to start this so I figured I had better. Thanks PJ for all your years of service, hard work, and dedication to the franchise. You left it all out on the court. You were a 4 year running Majerle hustle award winner for the Suns. You toiled in Europe and came back and made an impact on the Suns. You weren't afraid to body up bigger players. For all that, we thank you! Best of luck on the Raptors and finally being able to experience the playoffs.

Almost made it sarcastically but even I thought I was getting a bit repetitive

I will miss his hustle, I'll give him that. I wish some of his fire would have rubbed off on TJ.

[Superbone]

"I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a tough day for me," Tucker said Thursday, according to the Arizona Republic. "I dropped some tears. Phoenix changed my life. All the people here, all the fans, I couldn't ask for a better place or organization. It's been my family for the last five or six years. I'm so grateful about getting the opportunity and what they've done for me."

[Indy]

I really hope someone else on the team steps up and shows the type of energy, hustle, and 'dirt-worker' mentality we need.

[O_Gardino]

Thanks, PJ for setting a high bar on heart and hustle. Thanks for playing hard, and calling out teammates who did not play hard. Thanks for smiling in the locker room and frowning on the court. Thanks for giving yourself fully to each game and each play. Your competitive fire will be missed.

We wish you the best in Toronto. May you have a great time in the playoffs, and beat the Cavs and Celts.

[Indy]

Thanks, PJ for setting a high bar on heart and hustle. Thanks for playing hard, and calling out teammates who did not play hard. Thanks for smiling in the locker room and frowning on the court. Thanks for giving yourself fully to each game and each play. Your competitive fire will be missed.

We wish you the best in Toronto. May you have a great time in the playoffs, and beat the Cavs and Celts.

Really well said. I will add (and this might not be popular around here), that I really wish someone else on the team will step up and force the coach to play them 30 minutes a game based on their all-out-effort.

[LazarusLong]

Tucker reminds me of Mike Sanders and Alvin "Bone" Scott, who both played in the lean years of the mid-to-late 80s.
Guys who were limited in talent, but played a number of roles and busted their ass for the team.

[Mori Chu]

... I really wish someone else on the team will step up and force the coach to play them 30 minutes a game based on their all-out-effort.

Ronnie Price?

[Indy]

... I really wish someone else on the team will step up and force the coach to play them 30 minutes a game based on their all-out-effort.

Ronnie Price?

I don't think so. He is a smart player, but I can't see him doing that. But it would sure drive this place nuts if he started playing a lot and Ulis got more DNPs.

[O_Gardino]

...I really wish someone else on the team will step up and force the coach to play them 30 minutes a game based on their all-out-effort.

Yep. Gotta love a guy who outplays more skilled players. If the next guy is Warren or Bender, we are in great shape. Williams has the heart to do it. Ulis could honestly be that guy. Now we have 30 minutes a game and we will see who wants it.

[TOO]

If Tucker would have just stayed in his lane offensively like Tony Allen does, I would have liked him so much more. Sucks our only good defender is gone, but it was time.

[Ring_Wanted]

Can't deny the hustle and the heart. In retrospect he will be seen as a perfect incarnation of one of the darkest era of this franchise. Farewell ortho-LeBron.