LeBron Says He's 'Special,' but What's THT's True Value to LA Lakers?

After the Los Angeles Lakers' first preseason game, you might've thought LeBron James had been watching LaMelo Ball or another high-profile rookie. 

"This kid is flat out SPECIAL!" James tweeted.

But that was actually high praise for Lakers (and Klutch Sports) teammate Talen Horton-Tucker. Horton-Tucker did not disappoint in the Lakers' second preseason game either. 

It is easy to say James is pumping up a teammate and fellow Klutch Sports client, but he is hardly the only one talking about Horton-Tucker. He even caught Kawhi Leonard's eye—Leonard asked Wesley Matthews during their game Friday, "Wesley, Talen is 19?" For the record, he just turned 20. Still.

The Lakers drafted Horton-Tucker 46th in the 2019 NBA draft with little fanfare out of Iowa State. He ranked ahead of Rui Hachimura and Matisse Thybulle on Bleacher Report's 2019 big board, but both were drafted before him.

Horton-Tucker spent the majority of his rookie season playing for the South Bay Lakers in the G League. In 38 starts, he averaged 29.8 minutes a night while scoring 18.1 points and putting up 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. 

Horton-Tucker brings a variety of skills on both ends of the court and could provide the Lakers with substance off the bench. But how "special" is he?

Talen Horton-Tucker's game

The first thing that stands out about Horton-Tucker is his body type. Standing at 6'4", he has a wingspan of 7'1" on a 234-pound frame to anchor him. At this weight, he's difficult to bully and can rebound at a rate higher than most guards.

With this elite wingspan, Horton-Tucker is able to hound ball-handlers without getting out of position. In the G League, he averaged 1.4 steals a game with not just long arms but strong hands as well. On Sunday, he gave Kawhi himself the "Kawhi treatment," ripping the ball out of his hands.

This wingspan hides his lack of quickness, which will make it difficult to defend some of the speedy point guards in the NBA. He should be able to defend multiple positions on the perimeter and some small-ball power forwards with ease.

On the offensive end, he's a strong driver and cutter with some playmaking ability, minus a reliable jumper. In the G League, he operated mostly out of the pick-and-roll, according to Synergy Sports. He had 0.88 points per possession on pick-and-rolls, including passes, which is higher than Alex Caruso's 0.86 during his run in the G League.

As multiple players sat out the second game of preseason, Horton-Tucker got to show off his skill in the pick-and-roll. Coming off a Montrezl Harrell ball screen, as soon as he saw Leonard coming off Jared Dudley in the corner, he fired the ball there for a three.

The big thing that stands out is his touch around the rim. With the South Bay Lakers, he shot 58 percent in the restricted area. He has a special knack for acrobatic finishes, like this one in transition. After grabbing the rebound, he looked to push the ball with pace and tried to spin off the defender. Despite getting tripped up, he put the ball off the glass with a delicate touch to get the and-1.

Horton-Tucker also does a great job of constant movement and cutting to the basket. The Lakers boast multiple passers for cutters. Marc Gasol found him as he curled off a screen, and he finished through contact for another and-1.

One major weakness of Horton-Tucker's game is his three-point shooting. In college, he shot just 30.8 percent percent from three. That mark held in the G League as he connected on 30.9 percent percent on 6.1 three-point attempts per contest. His spot-up game is going to have to improve, and there have been flashes this preseason that it is coming together. On Sunday, he shot 4-of-5 from downtown, mostly on catch-and-shoot threes.  

At just 20 years old, Horton-Tucker has shown the true potential of his game. He will be able to refine it as he develops and gets more game-time reps. The question is, can he break into the rotation this season?

Does He Fit in Lakers Rotation?

James and Anthony Davis have yet to play this preseason, and Caruso, Matthews and Dennis Schroder all sat out the Lakers' second preseason game. When everyone is set to play, several players stand ahead of him in the lineup. 

This is not to say he will not get an opportunity. Coach Frank Vogel did not hesitate to put him in the lineup for two games in the playoff series against the Houston Rockets. In 8.5 minutes per game, he averaged 7.0 points. 

Horton-Tucker is going to push guys for minutes. Vogel acknowledged his play in practice, and these preseason games "is going to make my job difficult for sure because we have a very deep team and no minutes are guaranteed."

Horton-Tucker brings a lot of the same things Caruso does to the Lakers. They have a similar path in that Caruso also worked his way up through the Lakers' G League team to become a contributing member of their championship run. Now they'll be competing for minutes. 

It is important to note that the role Horton-Tucker played in the last two preseason games is not going to be his role during the regular season. When he is on the court, he'll operate mostly without the ball in his hands, as he has the skills to fit with James and Davis. 

Vogel broke down what value he brings to the team in a normal setting: "He's great at second-side action, can knock down catch-and-shoot threes when we have great ball movement or when LeBron and AD get double-teamed. ... He has as much defensive talent as he does offensive talent."

Horton-Tucker the Trade Asset?

The arrival of Horton-Tucker does make one wonder about the value he has as an asset for the Lakers. His trade value around the league is low for a few reasons.

First, this is just preseason, and he'll have to prove he can carry this over to regular-season NBA games.

Second, his contract value is low, so it would bring little in return.

Horton-Tucker will serve as insurance, though. Every contender needs a deep bench, but it will matter more this season than any before with the shortened schedule and the looming threat of COVID-19. At a moment's notice, he could enter the lineup.  

Finally, with so many draft picks committed to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers won't have a lot of chances to add young players to their roster. Keeping Horton-Tucker in the fold will help to keep the team young for the time being.

Watching the growth of Horton-Tucker is a credit to not just him but the South Bay Lakers coaching staff and the Lakers' development staff. The Lakers have not been known as a place for developing young players in the way the San Antonio Spurs were and the Toronto Raptors are now. This is the second player in the past few seasons who has grown within their system.

With the seal of approval from James and other Lakers teammates, Horton-Tucker is beginning to open up the eyes of other guys around the league and make a name for himself.

Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA.