Talen Horton-Tucker, for good reasons
I predicted that Talen Horton-Tucker would essentially be removed from the Los Angeles Lakers playoff rotation and would be averaging under 10 minutes per game in the playoffs. The logic was simple: THT is young and inexperienced and the Lakers have an insanely deep rotation.
However, THT getting 25 minutes against the Pacers when LeBron returned has me thinking that I was wrong and he is going to get a role in the rotation. Granted, Alex Caruso did not play against Indiana but it is unlikely that Wesley Matthews and Ben McLemore are going to combine for 25 minutes a game in the playoffs as they did against Indiana.
THT did get a tad overrated by Laker fans after the preseason but the truth of the matter is that he is a legitimate two-way asset that has a ton of potential. Sure, his three-point shot needs a lot of work, but he is someone who can already play above-average defense, utilizing his size and wingspan as a weapon for the Lakers.
This is going to be THT’s first real chance to showcase his talents on a national stage consistently and people are going to realize that the kid can play. This is not a case of the Lakers simply overhyping their young talent but that THT is going to be a really valuable player for any contending team for the next decade-plus.