We have learned a lot about the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the NBA Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ playoff trek is almost complete. At the time of writing this, the Lakers have a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, needing to win just one of the next three games to hang banner no. 17.
The NBA is always moving and even if the Lakers win the NBA Championship, Rob Pelinka will be back in his office after a few days of celebrating to construct next year’s championship-worthy roster. Us fans get to bask in the winnings, the front office goes back to work.
The NBA Playoffs have taught us a lot about the Los Angeles Lakers, though. We have learned some important things that will impact the future of the team and Pelinka’s decisions. Here are the x crucial things that we have learned about the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Playoffs.
1. Talen Horton-Tucker will be an important part of this team moving forward
This is a bit smaller than the other things that we learned but it is still evident. While Talen Horton-Tucker has been reserved to garbage time minutes, he has still gotten minutes in the NBA Playoffs as well as the seeding games right before the NBA Playoffs.
Horton-Tucker, a 2019 second-round pick, was a standout in the G League this season but that did not guarantee that the Lakers would keep in him the fold for the long-term. Guys like Thomas Bryant were phenomenal in the G League as well but were not mainstays on the roster.
With Horton-Tucker it feels different. The way that the veterans interact with him plus the fact that he even got playoff minutes to begin with are really telling for his future. He is still only 19 years old and he has to develop more but I would not be shocked if he is a part of the rotation next season.
He showed some promising signs when he was out there on the court and I like what I see out of THT for the future.