Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker showcased just how dangerous of a scorer he can be this preseason.
While it is not the same as regular season NBA action, Horton-Tucker clearly has a lot of potential as a scorer in this league.
However, he has struggled to find minutes in the Lakers’ rotation this season. He is currently playing just 12.0 minutes per game over the Lakers’ first four contests.
According to The Athletic’s Bill Oram, an NBA scout believes that Horton-Tucker could average 20 points per game if he was on his own team.
Bill Oram (@billoram) on THT #Lakers
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“I was on the phone with a scout the other day, kind of at the peak of THT hysteria, and this is not somebody who works for the Los Angeles Lakers, and said that, ‘If you put Talen Horton-Tucker on one of these s—– teams like the [Oklahoma City] Thunder or Charlotte, then he might average 20 points a game,’” Oram said on The Forum Club podcast. “This is somebody who does make money to watch [basketball]. An NBA team pays for this person’s opinions, and that’s how highly people view him right now.”
It is an interesting take, and clearly there are people in the league who think Horton-Tucker could be a bright spot on a bad team.
Since he is on a championship contender like the Lakers, it is unlikely we will get to see Horton-Tucker’s full potential this season as he plays behind LeBron James, Anthony Davis and others.
However, he could be an interesting trade piece for the Lakers if they don’t view him as part of their long-term plan.
