Before July 7th, 2022, the Minnesota Timberwolves fans had no reason to learn much about Butler forward Jordan Tucker. Approximately 24 hours before they would take the basketball court in their first scheduled game in the NBA Summer League, the Minnesota Timberwolves gave their fans all the reason in the world to make his acquaintance.
So here we go. A bit later than we wanted, but introducing the latest member of the Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League roster. Now, who the heck is he?
For starters, Jordan Tucker is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward who was eligible in the 2020 NBA Draft but was undrafted. He then began taking on roles with G-league teams. His first team was a 2020-21 role with the Windy City Bulls, the G-league affiliate for the Chicago Bulls. He went on to land a short-term role with the Rio Grande Vipers,k the G-league affiliate for the Houston Rockets. Earlier this year, in March 2022, he signed on with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, which is the G-league affiliate for the Miami Heat.
Tucker is a bit raw for an NBA prospect, but he has solid size for a wing. The trouble is that he will need to make a pretty quick impression.
Needs to break the vicious cycle
So far, the G-League book on Jordan Tucker runs a bit like this. He needs more minutes. But he needs better production to earn more minutes. But he needs more minutes to get better production. In four career games, he has averaged 6.0 minutes per game, 2.0 points per game, 1.8 rebounds per game, and 0.3 assists per game. His shooting from the floor has been 21.4 percent, and from the perimeter, he is shooting 28.6 percent.
Tucker’s debut for the Timberwolves’ first game against the Denver Nugget could have gone better. While he was one of 11 players who saw action, he probably wishes that he could have the evening back. On the night, he was zero of five shooting, including missing twice from the perimeter. He did have one assist but added a turnover and a personal foul with it. He ended the night scoreless on just nine minutes of playing time.
He will have up to three more opportunities to raise some eyebrows. But from what we saw in the first game, he is still firmly entrenched in a vicious cycle of low minutes and low production.