Everyone is making a big huge thing about how PJ Tucker defended Anthony Davis so well in game one (I don’t know how he did in this game, because I don’t care about defense). And on the surface, it looks admirable: Tucker is a midget masquerading as a center, and Davis is one of the NBA’s premier offensive bigmen.
But here’s the deal: anyone can guard Davis. Because all Davis wants is to do is be soft and shoot soft midrange jumpers. Even I could defend him. It’s not like he’s going to punish me for being under 6 feet tall, because what’s going to happen is he gets the ball, he turns around, and he shoots a jimbo no matter what I (or anyone else besides Tacko Fall) do. And it either goes in, or it doesn’t go in. He does what he wants, and what he wants is to pretend to be some sort of perimeter player.
Not to say that Tucker didn’t do some good things bullying Davis on the glass (sidenote: if even DownToBuck can box out in pickup games, I can imagine that NBA players can do it in the playoffs, so why does no one bother???????) or whatever. But defending him one-on-one? Puh-leeze. Miss me with that. Just straight up miss me with that.