Now 35 years old, Houston Rockets center P.J. Tucker has yet to make an All-Defensive Team in his extended NBA career.
But with Tucker getting even more attention than usual this season as a 6-foot-5 center for the undersized Rockets, this could be the year that he’s finally recognized in the league’s awards voting.
In an anonymous poll by The Athletic of 33 head coaches and assistant coaches, Tucker was voted to the All-Defensive Second Team. Tucker was joined in the frontcourt by Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo.
“P.J. Tucker has long been one of the most respected defenders in the league, and his willingness to throw his body into centers for the super-small Rockets this season only cemented his reputation,” wrote Jon Krawczynski and Josh Robbins, who conducted the poll.
Coaches haven’t voted for the official All-Defensive teams since the 2012-13 season. Since 2013-14, members of the media have voted for the teams. Nonetheless, The Athletic‘s findings could very well be considered by those voters once the official ballots are cast upon the conclusion of the 2019-20 regular season in August.
The First Team frontcourt in the poll is comprised of Rudy Gobert and a pair of perennial MVP candidates in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard, which could make moving up a tall order — both literally and figuratively. Nonetheless, the Second Team honor would be significant for Tucker, who missed out by just one point last year.
In addition to defensive talent and versatility, Tucker is also respected for his leadership, toughness, and durability. He’s yet to miss a single regular-season or postseason game since signing with Houston in July 2017, and he’s played the most games of any NBA player since the 2012-13 season.
