The Los Angeles Lakers have had to deal with a lot of injuries to start the 2021-22 NBA season. Kendrick Nunn and Trevor Ariza have yet to appear in a game this season and remain without timetables for when those returns may occur.
LeBron James has played in only seven games thus far this season and the team has struggled without him. Los Angeles is 2-6 without James in the lineup, continuing the trend of not being able to keep up with opponents when he is off the court.
But, the team did receive a boost in the last week with Talen Horton-Tucker returning to the court. Horton-Tucker missed the first 13 games of the season as he recovered from surgery on his finger.
Horton-Tucker has been one of the best Lakers since his return to the court. While LeBron James was sidelined, Horton-Tucker scored at least 17 points in each appearance, averaging 23.3 points on 49 percent shooting from the field. His 3-point shooting has been good, as he is 8-for-21 thus far.
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If that isn’t a fluke and the 3-point shooting is here to stay, it will help the Lakers’ offense immensely. He has yet to miss a free throw, knocking down all 12 of his attempts as well.
Talen Horton-Tucker is also grabbing 6.0 rebounds and two assists per game with four total steals and two blocks. This level of production took a hit once James was back in the lineup, but seeing him produce like this in his third season in the NBA is encouraging.
Turning 21-years old next week, the Iowa State product is only scratching the surface of his potential. The Los Angeles Lakers are confident in his potential, as they would not include him in trade talks at last year’s deadline and signed him to a three-year contract worth just under $31 million.
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Three games are a small sample size, but he has showcased that potential that has the organization so excited about his future. He is going to be a big part of the team going forward, as he could be the starting shooting guard even when the team is at full strength.
