Tucker's slump is serious.

The Los Angeles Clippers lost 112-116 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Monday (Feb. 29).

It was a shocking loss for the Clippers. The Clippers dominated the Lakers throughout the game. At the end of the third quarter, they led 96-77. At this point, no one doubted the Clippers' victory.

But then came the shocking fourth quarter. The Clippers' offense, which had been so active throughout the game, stagnated, and LeBron James went on a fourth-quarter tear to close the gap. Add to that Rui Hachimura's five straight points in the clutch and the Clippers were left with a humiliating home loss.

While the Lakers' fourth-quarter focus was admirable, the Clippers' performance was just as serious.

On the chopping block were Clippers bench members Russell Westbrook, PJ Tucker, and Mason Plumlee. The Clippers' bench minutes with the trio were atrocious on both offense and defense, and their coexistence without three-pointers was painful to watch, especially in offensive situations. The Lakers intentionally played a defense that forced Tucker and Westbrook to take 3-pointers, and they were caught flat-footed.

Tucker's performance was particularly egregious. Tucker was held to 0 points and 2 rebounds on the night. You could barely tell he was even on the court.

Shockingly, Tucker has gone scoreless in his last nine games. The last time Tucker scored was on November 15 against the Denver Nuggets, where he had six points.

Tucker's trademark was his three-point shot from the corner. But last season, his corner 3s started to disappear, and this season, they're almost non-existent.

Without a corner three, Tucker is simply not needed in the offense. If you watch the Clippers' games 토토 lately, you'll notice that the spacing on the court shrinks dramatically when Tucker is on the floor. Add Westbrook to the mix and the court becomes even tighter.

Tucker's problem isn't that he doesn't make threes, it's that he doesn't even try. This season, Tucker has completely lost his aggressiveness on offense.

That doesn't mean his defense, which was rated among the best in his prime, is still there. Tucker has lost his competitive edge in speed and can't keep up with opposing guards. The only role he has left is that of a strength-based big man defender. It's hard to write off Tucker based on this one role.

Tucker was traded to the Clippers earlier this season, along with James Harden. With the Clippers, Tucker was expected to be a solid backup to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, but he struggled mightily due to aging and was dropped from the rotation.

Tucker was unhappy and requested a trade, but no team wanted him, and he's been stuck with the Clippers since the trade deadline. Tucker hasn't rejoined the Clippers in a professional manner. Tucker has recently expressed his desire to leave the Clippers on social media.

For the Clippers, Tucker is a liability. Tucker has $11.5 million left on his contract for next season. If the Clippers want to get rid of him, he'll have to prove his worth on the court.

But this season, Tucker has been a liability when he's on the court. The Clippers are a team that is trying to win a championship. Tucker is a hindrance to their progress.

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