LeBron James continues to promote young Lakers teammate Tallen Horton-Tucker, a player he has been tracking since high school in the NBA.
Selected by the Lakers with the 46th pick in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, THT has forced their way into their rotation. Now in its second season, THT is showing glimpses of effective play on both ends of the floor. He has a sense for the game that makes his impact more than a box score.
The Lakers played extensively in the NBA bubble toward the back end of their seeding game. He impressed strongly, making a brief appearance at the playoffs. Tallen Horton-Tucker dominated the preseason for the 2020-21 season, claiming a place for a regular rotation.
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The 20-year-old will now be trusted by the Lakers for the upcoming season. So far, he is looking well and truly on the way to carving out a long NBA career. He has all the tools to become one, as acknowledged by LeBron James.
Tallen Horton-Tucker received much acclaim from LeBron James
In yesterday’s post-presser press, James was full of praise for the young guard / swingman:
“He does it on both sides of the floor, and then he just listens. He is a sponge. And he can implement it immediately … big time game for a child who is still growing on his own, but he is (beyond) him. “
Tallen Horton-Tucker: “I always said that I just wanted to learn. I think being a sponge is the most important thing when you are learning, especially with the caliber of people that we have. Just being spongy is probably the key to doing good things this year. ” pic.twitter.com/IZOI5LNBTi
– Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 11, 2021
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Some scouts believe he could actually average in the neighborhood of 20 points if he were on an inferior roster. THT has certainly demonstrated an appetite for this.
