https://youtu.be/y0ypYrztKdo
Cameron Oliver: the next P.J. Tucker for the Rockets? After making this highlight video, which is well over a minute long, I think I am qualified to say that yes, Cameron Oliver is the next P.J. Tucker for the Rockets.
The comparisons are there, people. First off, both of them are kind of stocky and wide. Stockiness and wideness are both crucial components of the P.J. Tucker experience, and Oliver has them in droves. If Oliver is ever tasked with playing center, he at least has the beefage to do so without immediately getting crushed by taller players.
Secondly, the three-point shooting is there as well. Oliver might even have Tucker beat in this category, since, in just two games with the Rockets, he has demonstrated an ability to hit threes from anywhere. Tucker is mostly limited to shooting threes from the corner.
Thirdly, there is a chance that Oliver is a good defender. Whether or not he is ACTUALLY a good defender is anybody’s guess. Certainly, I have no ability to form an opinion on this matter. I am unfamiliar with his college career, I’m unfamiliar with his overseas career (which apparently included a stint in Australia), and while I’m intimately familiar with his NBA career which spans two games, I don’t watch the NBA for the defense, so I can’t comment on his defensive ability whatsoever. Simply put, Oliver could be a good defender based on his measurables and his full complement of working limbs, and defense would really need to be his focus if he wanted to position himself as Tucker 2.0 (or “Twocker”).
If it turns out that Oliver sucks at defense, then he can just be Patrick Patterson 2.0 with better hops and I don’t think anybody would complain too much.