When the 76ers signed P.J. Tucker to a three-year, $33 million deal during the 2022 offseason, they knew exactly what they were getting. He was expected to bring defensive intensity, tremendous leadership and toughness, something Joel Embiid previously pointed to as a team weakness.

Philadelphia certainly didn't pencil in Tucker for 20 points per game. That's why the team has Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. But the 76ers likely also assumed Tucker would do something — anything — offensively while he is on the floor.

Through 24 games, the 37-year-old has been a glaring weak spot even when accounting for his limited offensive role. Is it time for Sixers coach Doc Rivers to pull him out of the starting lineup?

SIGN UP TO WATCH EVERY GAME ON NBA LEAGUE PASS: U.S. and U.K. | All other countries

P.J. Tucker stats: 76ers forward's lack of production is eye-opening

Tucker is averaging just 3.5 points per game in 2022-23, the second-lowest mark of his career. He posted 1.8 points per game in 2006-07 with the Raptors, but he only averaged 4.9 minutes in 17 games that season. He's logging 28.6 minutes per game with the 76ers.

It's not just that Tucker isn't scoring — he is often not shooting the ball. He has failed to register a field goal attempt three times and only taken one or two shots in nine different games.

His November game log almost looks like someone in the stats department made several errors.

Tucker had 26 points in the month of November. Suns star Devin Booker had 26 points in the third quarter of Phoenix's Nov. 30 win over the Bulls. All of Tucker's November buckets can comfortably fit in a 38-second video.

Every point P.J. Tucker scored in November pic.twitter.com/GcCDCTeUKo

— No Dunks (@NoDunksInc) December 1, 2022

To his credit, Tucker has shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range and 50.0 percent from the right corner. But he has only launched 38 total 3-point attempts this season, averaging 1.6 shots per game from beyond the arc. That number is way down from his Rockets years (4.0 attempts per game in three-plus seasons).

Bottom line: Tucker has been a non-factor for a team that was ranked No. 18 in offensive rating as of Dec. 8. His uninspiring offensive performance has prompted one major question for Rivers...

Why is P.J. Tucker still starting for the 76ers?

When asked before a Nov. 28 game against the Hawks about making changes to the starting lineup, Rivers defended Tucker and explained why he wouldn't bring him off the bench.

"I'll go back to the Atlanta series [in 2021]. Why did we lose that series?" Rivers said (via Sports Illustrated). "They were too big for us. There are going to be lineups where we'll have three guards in the lineup, but the other thing I'm going to say with P.J. because I can feel lately P.J.'s been the whipping boy, who do you think is the highest plus-minus guy on our team?"

At the time of Rivers' comments, Tucker was sitting at a team-high plus-78. He has since dropped to plus-47, the second-highest total behind only Embiid (plus-73). The Sixers hold a net rating of plus-4.3 with Tucker on the floor and minus-0.7 when he sits.

And as Rivers noted, Tucker's strength and physicality make him Philadelphia's ideal defender for specific assignments. After a Nov. 18 win against Milwaukee, Rivers praised Tucker for his defense on Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Tucker had zero points, but he was plus-11 in 32 minutes.

"It's funny, if someone didn't watch this game, they're going to look at the box score and they're going to see P.J. Tucker went 0-for-1, had four rebounds, two assists and he may have been our most important player on the floor tonight," Rivers said (via USA Today). "I said that to our guys and everybody started clapping because they saw it.

"It's a great example of how you help your team sometimes and it doesn't have to be scoring."

While Tucker won't impress anyone with his offensive skill set, Rivers is focusing on the bigger picture. Perhaps Tucker's lack of scoring could hurt the Sixers down the road in a postseason matchup, but for now, Rivers is sticking with the veteran.