Should the Sixers give PJ Tucker time to rest considering his injury?

WASHINGTON–Philadelphia 76ers veteran forward PJ Tucker has recently been dealing with a pinched nerve in his right hand and it has limited his effectiveness out on the floor.

Tucker did not play in the fourth quarter of their Dec. 23 win over the Los Angeles Clippers nor did he play in the fourth in their Christmas Day win over the New York Knicks. Although, the Knicks game can probably be contributed to the fact that Georges Niang was red-hot from deep and he was a big reason for the Sixers closing that one out.

Tucker then played only 2:13 in the second half of their loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday as he was seen shaking his right hand early in the third quarter and was removed from the game. He did not return to that one either.

“He got a stinger,” coach Doc Rivers said after the loss. “I can see it right when it happened. So I think it’s a stinger. I don’t think it’s anything that’s gonna linger, but I didn’t check so I’ll find that out.”

This now begs the question of whether the Sixers should give Tucker a rest. He is 37 years old and he has played in all 33 games to begin the season. Being able to play in every game is impressive, considering how big load management is in today’s NBA, but at this stage, it is something the Sixers should consider.

The big reason why the Sixers went out and acquired Tucker in free agency is for the playoffs. Philadelphia has its eyes set on the postseason where the veteran figures to have his biggest impact out on the floor. While his regular season numbers won’t blow anybody away, he’s averaging 3.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, the fact of the matter is his impact goes beyond the box score with the hustle plays needed to win games.

That will show up more in the playoffs than in the regular season and considering the pinched nerve in his right hand combined with the fact that he is 37, maybe it’s time to give Tucker a break. The Sixers have a back-to-back coming up on Friday and Saturday to end this current four-game road trip before returning home on Jan. 2. This would be a good time to give him that rest.