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.
Advertisement
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.
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.”
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.
