2. Talen Horton-Tucker
- Minutes played per game: 2.5 (five total minutes played this season)
Like Caruso in years’ past, Talen Horton-Tucker has almost exclusively been a G League player for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. He has only appeared in two games for the Lakers this season, playing a grand total of five minutes.
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In the G League, though, Horton-Tucker is showing the potential that the Lakers saw when they drafted him as he is one of the most promising players in the league. THT is averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, four assists and 1.4 steals per game in 38 G League games.
THT has had a few big scoring outbreaks as well and while his three-point shooting has not made the improvement that would have fast-tracked his way to a role with the team, he is proving to be a viable scoring option and could be another off-ball threat for the Lakers.
Now, I do not think he is someone who is going to get a big role on the team next season but he absolutely is someone that could take Jared Dudley or Quinn Cook’s minutes. Somewhere around 8-10 minutes per game for THT next season is realistic as he further continues to progress in the NBA.
He would add another scoring threat in the backcourt and if the team does get rid of Rondo he could have even more minutes, perhaps up to 12-14, to be a ball-handler and facilitator while LeBron James is off the court.
Either way, THT is efficient without the ball in his hands or with the ball in his hands and the 2020 season should provide the Lakers’ 2019 second-round pick an opportunity to get valuable NBA minutes.