Signing P.J. Tucker provides help for a New York Knicks team with issues of frontcourt depth. He's also the type of player the Knicks relied on in their 90's glory days.
Tucker officially signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks on Monday and is expected to remain with the team for the rest of the season and playoffs. New York can give Tucker two 10-day deals before a rest-of-season contract and remain just under the second luxury tax apron.
While he hasn't played in an NBA game this season, the 39-year-old fits a glaring need for defense and toughness in the Knicks frontcourt. The team has the NBA's fifth-best offensive rating, but they're only 15th in defensive rating. Beyond the statistics, they seem lacking in intimidation factor. That's where Tucker excels.
Tucker may stand only 6-foot-5, but he's unwilling to back down against anyone. That was a hallmark of the Pat Riley-era Knicks, where alongside Patrick Ewing, the Knicks boasted gritty frontcourt players like Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason. Oakley and cohorts reliably delivered hard fouls and shoves underneath the basket in retaliation for any slights — talking trash, taking their own shots or even complaining about hard fouls, as was the case with Dennis Rodman in 1992.
Mason was similar to Tucker, an unheralded college prospect who had to work his way into the NBA by playing abroad or in other pro leagues. Perhaps that roundabout entry into the league gave both men added toughness and intolerance for disrespect.
At 39, Tucker might not play a ton of minutes for the Knicks, likely fitting in best as a small-ball center. He can still make three-pointers, but spotting up in the corner is Tucker's primary offensive skill at this point.
But with Mitchell Robinson working his way back from injury and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns not exactly known as an enforcer, the Knicks can use Tucker in limited minutes, even if he's just coming in to deliver glares and hard fouls. It's what the last consistent New York Knicks contender was built around.
If Oakley ever resolves his lawsuit with owner James Dolan and returns to Madison Square Garden, he'd agree. But don't hold your breath. A Knicks big man from the 90's isn't known for ever backing down.
