The Los Angeles Lakers have gotten off to a bit of a rough start this year in the NBA. The Lakers sit at 8-9, just outside the NBA playoff picture with a lot of basketball left to be played. Still, the Lakers have always been held to a higher standard- and a squad with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook on it should be no different.
Both James and Davis have been sidelined with injury at various times this year, prompting other players in the Lakers rotation to step up. These two Lakers have made the team's rough start to the season bearable.
Talen Horton-Tucker has quietly been an underrated part of the Lakers rotation this year. Logging heavy minutes at the wing with James sidelined, Horton-Tucker is on-pace for career-high numbers across the board. It's worth noting that Horton-Tucker has only played in four games, as he was recovering from offseason surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. All the same, with two three-pointers made per game as well as a steal per contest, the 20-year-old has emerged as a two-way threat for the Lakers.
It's unclear if Horton-Tucker, a streaky three-point shooter in college, will be able to keep knocking down attempts from beyond the arc at a 38.1 percent clip. Still, what's clear is that the Iowa State product is a rotational piece that the Lakers can depend upon when they are dealt a bad hand with NBA injuries. Horton-Tucker has the feel of a budding star, one who can handle increased offensive responsibility without sacrificing efficiency.
It will be interesting to see how many minutes Horton-Tucker logs each night when James is ready to return.
Lakers forward and future NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony has also made the tough start to the season easier on the eyes. Anthony has embraced a bench role with the Lakers, something he was criticized for not doing earlier in his career- and he has looked fantastic in the role.
The 10-time All-Star has been a sniper for the Lakers, as he is draining a career-best 2.8 attempts from beyond the arc per night. He's been an efficient scorer off the bench for Los Angeles, and more pivotal to the team's NBA success than perhaps fans realize.
Per Bleacher Report, Anthony is averaging 18.8 points on 59.6 percent shooting in Lakers wins compared to 11.9 points on 34.1 percent shooting in Lakers losses. It's clear that Los Angeles is a better team when Anthony is on- and not as good when Anthony isn't knocking down his shots.
No one would have expected to say that before the season started, but it's a testament to how well the veteran forward has played. Anthony will remain a key part of the Lakers rotational plans as they continue their quest for an NBA championship.
While they weren't expected to be huge factors before the NBA season began, Talen Horton-Tucker and Carmelo Anthony have starred in their roles for the Lakers. For a chance at championship banner number 18, the Lakers will need them to keep it up.
Follow Us
Subscribe