5 New Year’s resolutions for the Los Angeles Lakers
5. Get THT into the regular Los Angeles Lakers rotation
It is by no mistake that all the buzz surrounding the Lakers in the preseason was about their young budding guard Talen Horton-Tucker. He has already become a fan favorite because of his fluid handles and his bulldozing style at times on the offense side of the ball
He even flashed some early signs of greatness on the defensive end in last year’s playoffs when he was called upon to defend the best one on one scorers in basketball, James Harden, and did not flinch. His seven-foot wingspan also makes him excel at getting into passing lanes and defending guards that might be taller than he is.
His playoff performance, caused many Laker fans to question, where has this guy been all year? Why was he playing in the G League when he could be developing in the NBA and actually helping a Lakers team that lacked guard depth?
The answer may have been, the Lakers’ lofty expectations last season created a scenario where they had no time to wait for Horton-Tucker to develop as the season went on.
However, all of that potential came somewhat to fruition this preseason when Horton-Tucker was the Lakers leading scorer in the preseason and looked like a future star in the making.
Yet, on one of the deepest Lakers rosters in recent memory, it is going to be hard for him to get regular minutes and continue to develop his rapidly improving game.
Sure, he has played in all four games this season, which is a pleasant surprise compared to last year when he spent most of the season in the G League. It just seems like there is more of a role for THT to play, especially since Caruso just got injured to start the season.
If what he has shown in the preseason can translate in the regular season, then the Lakers could have another star to pair with AD once James retires down the line. The only way the Lakers will be able to see if that is truly the case is if he gets on to the floor more this season.
He is already averaging 7.3 points per game on just 12 minutes per game. Making his per 36 scoring average a whopping 21.7 points per 36 minutes.
If we see more THT this year, then the Lakers could possibly enjoy more success this season, and his development will only help them in the future as well.