Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players that will improve the most heading into 2021
By Jason Reed
![LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 02: Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with Anthony Davis #3 during the second half against the Miami Heat in Game Two of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 02, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 02: Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with Anthony Davis #3 during the second half against the Miami Heat in Game Two of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 02, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/99f551fcd31de757ddb0f23ea4e3740d2a74246586f7e4d3cc71fb202d3a0b1f.jpg)
3. Talen Horton-Tucker
Talen Horton-Tucker did not play much in the 2020 season. He spent most of his time with the G League South Bay Lakers and faired pretty well down there. However, he did get some playing time in the bubble and was quite solid when he was out there.
THT played in four of the seeding games in the bubble before the playoffs began. He got 19 minutes in game one, 16 in game two, five in game three and 34 in game four, the last game of the season.
He scored 10 or more points in the three games that he actually got decent minutes, shooting 48.3% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. He even got a combined 17 minutes in the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets, scoring a combined 14 points with five rebounds.
There is a reason why the Lakers selected THT in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft and why they held onto him during the NBA trade deadline. The Lakers have really good recent history of drafting late first-round and second-round picks and turning them into contributors and THT will be no different.
I still think we are a year away from him being a legitimate staple in the rotation but we will start to see that potential this season. THT has a lot of potential as a two-way guard, especially on the defensive end because of his length.
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Eventually, THT will become another emerging guard just like Alex Caruso. Like we did with Caruso years ago, we are going to see the first sprout of that potential emerge in 2021.