Philadelphia 76ers: P.J. Tucker has gone full-on villain

For many a fan across the NBA, Joel Embiid is one of the NBA’s premier on-court villains.

He’s too good to cover one-on-one without fouling, an excellent two-way player who can make difference-making plays at either end of the court, and, most crucially of all, plays with a certain “I’m great and I know it” energy that must drive non-Philadelphia 76ers fans crazy.

And yet, what’s that quote from the Dark Knight? ‘ You either die a hero or live lone enough to see yourself become  a villain?’ With Embiid back on the court sporting a full-on Batman mask, P.J. Tucker put it upon himself to go full-on Joker in Game 3 of the Sixers’ series versus the Miami Heat, with the veteran forward sowing chaos at every turn.

I mean, hey, when you only score four points over a 35-minute run, you have to do something to make an impact on the game, right?

P.J. Tucker is trying to disrupt the Philadelphia 76ers’ flow.

P.J. Tucker isn’t what you would call a traditional NBA player. He’s shorter than most shooting guards yet often deploys at power forward or even center, and what he lacks in scoring, shooting, or blocking, he more than makes up for with smart defensive play, savvy steals, and a willingness to do the dirty work, Norm McDonald-style, to put his team in the best position to succeed.

Some of that effort was in full display in Game 3, as Tucker put it upon himself to disrupt Philly’s momentum both on the court and in the sideline huddle. He went up to contest any shot that came his way, picked up eight rebounds, and went out of his way to fight with Tobias Harris, Georges Niang, and most importantly of all, Matisse Thybulle, who isn’t usually about that life but wanted all of the smoke back at the Wells Fargo Center.

And yet, unlike in Games 1 and 2, where Tucker was an impactful player, the Sixers were largely able to shrug off the NBA’s reigning sneaker king due to masterful performances by Tyrese Maxey, Danny Green, and “The Phantom of the Process,” Joel Embiid, who turned in the most impactful 18 and 11 performance you’ll ever see. Outside of Tucker’s efforts to slow down Tobias Harris, who had a series-low nine points in 39 minutes, his impact on the game may have actually galvanized the Sixers instead of his own teammates.

Have we heard the last of P.J. Tucker? No, like all good villains, I’m sure he will lick his wounds, regroup and return to the court with a new flair, a fresh look, and a scheme to take down his arch-rivals, but as long as Joel Embiid is on the court, Tucker’s impact on the Philadelphia 76ers’ fortunes should be negligible at best.