Miami Heat's newest star in PJ Tucker doesn't want anyone comparing him to someone like Jae Crowder. According to Tucker, he's his own man.
Given how much their stories have been eerily similar, people couldn't help compare the two as Heat fans have been longing for a tough defender and instigator like Tucker since Crowder left after the '19-20 season.
“Jae was Jae,” Tucker said (via Hot Hot Hoops). “I mean, Jae did what he did here. I’m a different player. I’m not Jae. I’m not trying to fill what Jae did. I’m trying to create what I do and bring my uniqueness to this team and build that. I feel like we had another team when Jae was here and guys have grown. Tyler [Herro] has grown, Duncan [Robinson] has grown, and everybody that was here before. I feel like it’s just another team and we’re different people.”
Tucker, 36, signed a two-year deal with the Heat this summer after helping the Milwaukee Bucks win a championship last season. The journeyman has been all over the world, earning his spot in each team he plays for. Now, he's hoping to help the Heat bounce back after a disappointing follow-up to their impressive NBA Bubble run.
Crowder, for his part, has left a huge void in Miami after leaving at the end of that incredible 2020 season. He ended up with the Phoenix Suns and helped that franchise achieve new heights, only to fall short to Tucker's Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals.
With Tucker coming in, alongside other tough vets like Kyle Lowry and Markieff Morris, look for this new-look Miami Heat to make some noise in the East once again.
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