3 Reasons the Rockets must extend Tucker’s contract

2. Critical component of Rockets’ success

Tucker, who will turn 35 years of age later this year, has become a player that the team simply cannot succeed without. For starters, Tucker has played 54 games this season, which is a team-high for the Houston Rockets. He’s also played the seventh-most total minutes in the league this season, as he has such an important role. Tucker has also has yet to miss a game since joining the Rockets prior to the 2017-18 season (yes you read that correctly).

Tucker has famously become the center for the Houston Rockets, due to the small-ball strategy. Tucker’s versatility is arguably the biggest reason for the success of this scheme, and he may very well be the most versatile player in the league.

Tucker is currently averaging 7.4 points per game, which are the most he’s scored since the 2015-16 season. The Sneaker King is also averaging seven rebounds per game, which is also a career-high. As if this weren’t enough, Tucker is also shooting 36.4 percent from behind the 3 point line, which is the third-best on the Houston Rockets.

Tucker is leading the league in left corner threes, and he’s hitting 44.2 percent of his left corner 3-pointers. Granted, many of these numbers may not jump off the page at you, however his impact doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.

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