There is something special about Los Angeles Lakers youngster Talen Horton-Tucker. If you don’t believe me, just ask LeBron James because he said it a few months back.
I don’t know exactly what it is. He kind of reminds me of Shawn Marion in the way he is built. (Marion was three inches taller, but they seem to move around the same.) So much upside in his game. He has a very interesting flow to him. At 6-4, he stands at a good size and he’s quick.
Horton-Tucker can drive to the basket or pull up for a mid-range jumper. He is not limited to just one style as we have seen him possess some fine moves as he gets close to the basket and faces oncoming defenders. There is no fear in him as he is not afraid to go into the lane hard. I find that to be rather rare in this shooter friendly NBA game of today.
His ball-handling skills are also very impressive. He can bring the ball up the floor and seems to have a good feel about his full-court vision which is very important. I like the way he moves without the ball too. We see so many standing around on offense throughout the league at times.
The Los Angeles Lakers need another spark to their offense and Talen Horton-Tucker can be just that.
So far this season he is averaging 15.8 minutes as well as 7.1 points per game. Not too shabby for a guy who only played in 6 games last year. He is definitely a part of the great Laker rotation as his role seems to be increasing but he needs to get more minutes.
There are still pieces that need to be adjusted. Kyle Kuzma and Marc Gasol, both who have been rather shaky have not been as reliable as they need to be. Gasol is averaging a career-low 3.9 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game.
We expected to see him not have extravagant numbers as he is in the end stages of his career and is more of a role player but there are times where he is rather invisible. Kuzma is the big question mark. We know the talent is there but consistency is what is needed.
With more minutes and responsibility, I see no reason why Horton-Tucker can’t become a deeper staple for this Laker team. He has the talent for sure. Now all he needs is more experience. There is no doubt that he is coming along just fine.