3. Talen Horton-Tucker
Laker fans certainly will not be shocked by Talen Horton-Tucker this season as he is the most promising young player on the team and fans are expecting him to be a big part of the team’s future.
There definitely are those around the league that are expecting THT to be a solid rotation player. He was exceptional in the preseason last season so it is not like he is coming out of nowhere. There are expectations for him and he will still surpass them.
NBA pundits do seem to be overlooking THT based on how this offseason has gone. Everyone is focusing on the experienced players that the team brought in, overlooking the young Horton-Tucker who is only going to get better.
THT is arguably the best playmaker/facilitator off the bench for the Lakers and his defense is going to be massive this season. Losing Alex Caruso was massive for the team’s defense and it is going to take THT stepping up and playing a bigger defensive role.
THT is going to prove to be a legitimate two-way player for the Los Angeles Lakers and is likely going to play a big role in the playoffs. That is when he is going to shock the most fans as he will be doing it on the biggest stage with the most eyeballs watching him.