Getty Talen Horton-Tucker, Los Angeles Lakers
Talen Horton-Tucker is clearly the best young asset on the Los Angeles Lakers roster, primarily due to the lack of youth within their rotation.
However, since entering the NBA, Horton-Tucker has proven himself to have solid upside and is potentially capable of becoming a starting talent for one of the better teams within the league.
Unfortunately, the Lakers’ depth, immediate championship aspirations, and Horton-Tucker’s limited outside game means that we’re unlikely to see him reach his full potential while donning the purple and gold. As such, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz expects the Lakers ‘best young prospect’ to be used as a trade chip once we get closer to the trade deadline.
Damn Talen Horten-Tucker gone now.. 😩😅
“Horton-Tucker probably needs a change of scenery to maximize his potential, as he’s a talented ball-handler and poor outside shooter who doesn’t fit next to ball-dominant players like LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. He’s one of the NBA’s worst three-point shooters (26.9 percent) but uses his big 6’4″, 234-pound frame to get into the paint and finish around the basket,” Swartz wrote on August 11.
Tucker has amassed 131 regular-season NBA games since entering the league three years ago and has posted career averages of 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43.7% from the field and 27.6% from deep.
Horton-Tucker’s Shooting Woes Hurt His Chances
The biggest flaw in Horton-Tucker’s current skillset is his inability to be a reliable perimeter scorer – something which is made worse by the limited shooting of other stars such as Russell Westbrook.
When a player is unable to stretch the floor and score off the catch, it’s clear they need the ball in their hands to be an effective offensive weapon. Right now, the Lakers have three high-usage superstars in their rotation in the form of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, and it’s highly unlikely the Lakers sacrifice some touches for two of their top stars to give Horton-Tucker the development time he needs.
“Talent less horten Tucker”
According to Instat’s tracking data, Horten-Tucker primarily operated as a pick-and-roll ball-handler last season, while also racking up numerous possessions as a catch-and-drive threat- both of which involve the young guard attacking the paint.
The Lakers ranked 22nd in three-point percentage last season, so the last thing they needed was another guard forcing the defense into collapsing on the interior because the team was limited in kick-out options. Of course, should Westbrook find himself a new home this summer, and the Lakers add an additional shooter, Horton-Tucker’s future could look brighter moving forwards.
Lakers Urged to Cut Ties With Westbrook
Regardless of what the future holds for Horton-Tucker, it’s clear the Lakers need to resolve their spacing issues before the new season gets underway. Of course, a large part of that problem is the presence of Russell Westbrook, who struggled from outside of four feet last season.
As such, Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless recently postulated that the Lakers cut ties with Westbrook via a buy-out, and likened his departure to addition by subtraction.
“Russ (Westbrook) was such a disaster, I fear that you’re completely and utterly stuck with him. I don’t see any scenario where Jeanie Buss is going to rubber stamp a bunch of draft picks to get him out of here. The best way out of this is to pay him his $47 million and send him home. Just do addition by subtraction.
That would be the very best thing she could do for the basketball team – because then you protect all your future picks, and you allow LeBron to figure it out without Westbrook in the equation. You just say ‘Ok, we screwed up, but we swallow our pride, swallow $47 million, and Russ, we don’t need ya,’ have fun,” Bayless said during a August 5 episode of Undisputed.
However, regardless of what happens with Westbrook this season, Horton-Tucker is likely on borrowed time with the Lakers, as he looks to be one of their most tradeable assets outside of their future draft picks.