“Talen Horton-Tucker has earned his chances”: LeBron James wants Lakers youngster to carve out a place for himself in their rotation

After leading the Lakers to a 4-2 record with his first triple-double of the season, LeBron James heaped praise on Talen Horton-Tucker.

The 20-year-old burst onto the limelight during the bubble in Orlando last year. Horton-Tucker played significant minutes in the seeding games. His performances led to him seeing the floor against James Harden and co in the playoffs.

Horton-Tucker was even better in the Lakers’ preseason campaign as they went 4-0. The 6’4″ guard averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game in 31 minutes through 4 preseason games. Many tipped him to take on a more important role with the Lakers this season.

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The Lakers haven’t been able to afford him too much playing time this season so far. They’ve been involved in a couple of close games. But Horton-Tucker got his chance against the Spurs last night, and made it count.

LeBron James believes Talen Horton-Tucker has a lot to give to the Lakers

In the post-game presser last night, James was asked about what THT could bring to the table for the Lakers. He replied thus:

“Well I think every game is an example, a teaching moment for him. I’ve always lived by the phrase that the best teacher in life is experience. He’s experiencing some great moments as a pro. He’s going to continue to learn, he’s going to continue to get the opportunities because he’s earned it.”

LeBron on Talen Horton-Tucker: “He’s experiencing some great moments for himself as a pro. … He’s going to continue to learn, he’s going to continue to get the opportunities because he’s earned it…” pic.twitter.com/fZ9zkJc2tc

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 2, 2021

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THT seems to be trending towards getting more and more playing time. There have been rumors around the league that the Lakers are holding him back just for squad strength. A lot of scouts believe the Iowa State product could be averaging in the neighborhood of 20 points per game for a tanking team.