Los Angeles Lakers Player Spotlight: Talen Horton-Tucker

Talen Horton-Tucker was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2019 NBA Draft and could be an important component to the team moving forward.

The next player to be covered in the “Los Angeles Lakers Player Spotlight” series is Talen Horton-Tucker.

Biography

Talen only spent a single season in college. In his one season with the Iowa State Cyclones, Horton-Tucker averaged 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds. However, he showed great potential in his time with Iowa State.

The Lakers saw something in Talen in the 2019 NBA Draft that led to them trading a future second-round pick and cash considerations to the Magic for the 46th overall pick.

He has only played in two NBA games with the Lakers and has yet to score. However, on the Lakers G League team, the South Bay Lakers, he has put on a show. While not being the most efficient player, Horton-Tucker has lit up G League scoreboards with his 18.1 points per game.

Strengths And Weaknesses

One strength of Horton-Tucker’s game is his ability to finish around the basket. In the G League he has been someone who can score on anyone no matter their size around the rim. On top of this, he can create his own shot. This is a skill that the Lakers have been desperately looking for out of a player.

Another strength of his is rebounding. Horton-Tucker only stands at 6’4″ and plays the guard position. Even though he is one of the shorter players on the court, he still brings down 6.2 rebounds per game in the G League. This is an amazing stat for a guard.

One weakness in Talon’s game is his assisting. While he can make plays to get his own shot, he struggles to find open teammates or make plays to get them their shots. This weakness leads to him only averaging four assists a game despite being one of the primary ball handlers of the South Bay Lakers.

However, he is still a very young player and has plenty of time to develop these weak points of his game and become a more well-rounded and complete player.

What He Brings To The Team

In terms of the 2019-2020 season, Talen does not bring too much to the contending Los Angeles Lakers roster. He just has too much of his game yet to develop and improve before he can be a contributing player on a championship-caliber roster.

However, in a few years, he will likely be a major piece of the Lakers roster and after the eventual retirement of Rajon Rondo, Talen will take over the backup point guard position. Once he fully develops and can contribute to the Lakers, Horton-Tucker will be an exciting scorer to watch for the purple and gold.