Talen Horton-Tucker Helping Lakers Backcourt Get Ready For NBA Restart

The rookie guard retweeted a photo of himself at a Lakers practice and wrote: “Soak it all in, you there for a reason.”

Guard Talen Horton-Tucker is earning praise from his Lakers teammates inside the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World near Orlando. 

The 19-year-old rookie, who spent most of this season with the Lakers' G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, has made an impression on his teammates in practices over the last week and a half.  

Dion Waiters said he has promise.  

"I like Talen a lot,” Waiters said on a recent conference call. “I’m building a relationship with Talen, also. I’ve just been in his ear a lot, just tell him to make sure he [does] the little things. Monitor everything we’re doing, just watch the group that’s going before him. Just stay locked in, stay locked in. [He’s] got a lot of upside, also."

The Lakers tweeted a photo of Alex Caruso guarding Horton-Tucker at a recent practice and wrote: “The rook putting in the work. #LakeShow.”

Kyle Kuzma retweeted the photo and added a compliment.

"Got game," Kuzma wrote. 

Horton-Tucker played at Iowa State from 2018-2019 before declaring for the 2019 NBA draft. He was selected as the 46th overall pick by the Orlando Magic, who traded him to the Lakers on draft night.

Over 38 games with the South Bay Lakers this season, Horton-Tucker averaged 18.1 points on 42.3 percent shooting from the field, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals. He played in two games for the Lakers, averaging 2.5 minutes. 

Horton-Tucker knows being in the bubble with the Lakers, who are atop the Western Conference with a record of 49-14, is a big opportunity. 

He retweeted the photo of himself at practice and added a note to himself. 

“Soak it all in, you there for a reason,” he wrote.