Houston Rockets: P.J. Tucker will make the USA Basketball roster
Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker has been invited to the 2019-20 USA Basketball training camp, officially elevating his status as a pro. What gives? Look.
Houston Rockets fans — it’s that time of the year again and there’s luckily some good news that’s oozing out of 1510 Polk St. Outside of all of the uncertainty of how this roster is going to look next season with the myriad of rumors, at least we know that there are three members of this roster that have bestowed distinct honors for the hard work and contributions to the game professional basketball.
This summer season will be full of athletic competition and we won’t only have baseball to watch as the 2019 Women’s World Cup is already underway and we’ll get to see our favorite players participate in the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup that will commence Aug. 31.
The good news is that three members of the Houston Rockets roster have been named to the training camp roster and those include James Harden and Eric Gordon.
Who am I leaving out?
None other than P.J. Tucker. Yes, I had to mention him separately because it’s a distinct honor for P.J., who is receiving it for the first time in his career. Tucker does have experience playing on the international front as he spent a good chunk of the early part of his pro career playing in Europe.
Not only that but his unique skill set of being able to play hard-nosed defense, attack the boards with ferociousness and having the innate ability to knock down a corner-three when asked upon is going to force the 2019-20 USA Basketball coaching staff to make a tough decision on who makes the roster.
Training camp will take place Aug. 5-9 in Las Vegas, weeks ahead of the actual competition taking place later that month.
Other than Harden, Gordon and Tucker here are other 17 players invited to camp: Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris, Kyle Kuzma, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, CJ McCollum, Paul Millsap, Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Myles Turner and Kemba Walker.
This will be a tough lineup to crack as there will be eight of these guys that will be packing their
More from House of Houston
- Are you the 2021 FanSided Sports Fan of the Year?
- Houston Texans: 4 reasons Romeo Crennel is right coach right now
- Astros-Twins Wild Card Series: 5 things to know as MLB postseason begins
- Houston Texans: The Most Underrated Sports Drought Ever
- Houston Texans: J.J. Watt’s early case for NFL Hall of Fame
bags after training camp when the roster is eventually cut down to 12 guys but I think Tucker’s chances are stronger than ever.
Could Tucker bump Barnes and Millsap and a few other guys to claw his way onto the roster? Absolutely — his competitive spirit will emanate because I know this is something that he wants to add to his resume.
His profile has elevated since being a member of the Houston Rockets and fans alike around the world have been able to see what this man can do on the hardwood, especially with heavily-marketed series like the Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors.
I couldn’t be prouder of Tucker’s accomplishments and I certainly wish him nothing but the best, regardless of what happens. However, I fully expect him to be donning the USA Basketball threads when it’s all said and done.
Next. Rockets: P.J. Tucker's exponential progression. dark
Tucker, 34, averaged 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds with a shooting line of .396/.377/.695 through all 82 games last season.