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Talen Horton-Tucker's return was a huge boost for the Los Angeles Lakers, who desperately need front-court depth at the moment because of the various injuries to key players like LeBron James and Trevor Ariza. Sports television personality Nick Wright heaped praise on THT after a brilliant game in the Lakers' 121-103 loss Monday night at home to the Chicago Bulls.
Horton-Tucker has been a shining light, going from strength to strength since his debut in 2019. To think that Los Angeles found him in the second round makes him one of their best heists. The Lakers made a draft night deal with the Orlando Magic, which took Horton-Tucker with the 46th overall pick.
THT is a valuable asset because of his defensive prowess, length, size (6-foot-4), playmaking skills and ability to get buckets when they need him to. He is a willing learner and has soaked up information from big-time veterans like LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, helping him to elevate his game. His drastic improvement reflected the box score from the Bulls game as he scored 28 points, grabbed six boards and dished out two assists.
Wright praised Talen Horton-Tucker after the effort, saying the Lakers need THT to come up big for them this year considering the start that they have had. Here's what he said in an appearance on FS1's "First Things First":
"LeBron will be back Friday at the latest, maybe Wednesday. It was a bad loss for the Lakers, but Talen Horton-Tucker had a big game, and they need him to be big this year."
Considering the departures of Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso, Horton-Tucker could help the Lakers make up for the loss of those key defenders. The Lakers' defensive efficiency has suffered a significant drop.
Can Horton-Tucker have a career year and help guide the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship?
The Lakers let Alex Caruso go not only for luxury tax reasons but also because they knew they had a young star in Horton-Tucker who was capable of making up for the loss of a key defensive piece. The Lakers offered him a new contract in the offseason in hopes of cashing in on his vast potential.
Judging by the way he's played since his return from injury, it was no surprise they picked him because of his ability to shine on both ends of the court.
Horton-Tucker's size and length allow him to be disruptive on defense end by jumping passing lanes and causing turnovers or altering and blocking shots. That size and length also give him the ability to drive in the lane with his superior ballhandling skills and then finish with contact.
Considering the Lakers' defensive inefficiencies early this season, the franchise will be hoping that their young star will show up in a big way. THT is averaging 22.5 points in his two games this season, and the Lakers would love for him to keep up that pace while learning the NBA game. If he does, he could be key to the Lakers' championship aspirations.
