Saying that the Los Angeles Lakers had a challenging season is perhaps the biggest understatement of the century.
There were a few bright spots, of course – like LeBron James‘ amazing output – but most everything and everyone else was disappointing.
That includes Talen Horton-Tucker, who saw a decrease in his performance this season.
But that felt like the past on Thursday night, as Horton-Tucker was making serious noise on the court again.
Talen Horton-Tucker as the Lakers’ first option tonight:
40 (!!!) points
54% FG
4 steals
3 assists
3 rebounds🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/YKEMHkovfE
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 8, 2022
In a Thursday night loss to the Golden State Warriors, Horton-Tucker looked nearly better than ever.
He put up 40 points, 4 steals, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds with a 54% field goal percentage.
The game didn’t feature any playing from James, Anthony Davis, or Russell Westbrook, which gave Horton-Tucker a chance to shine yet again.
After the season he’s had, he needs it.
THT In LA
At the end of last season, there were many Lakers fans who saw Horton-Tucker as part of the team’s future.
He had an average of 9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for that season.
Although his stats haven’t gone down too much this year, he wasn’t the same confident, reliable player he used to be.
This has led some LA faithful to cry out that he needs to be traded.
However, Horton-Tucker’s biggest defenders have always said that almost nothing on the Lakers’ lineup worked this year and that Horton-Tucker will return to his former glory as the team does.
A game like the one he had on Thursday night will go a long way to calm the nerves of fans.
However, it might also bump up his trade value too.
He is a young, promising star, and some other team in the league may take a look at Horton-Tucker’s playing on Thursday and decide they want to take a chance on him.
That means that his days in LA might be numbered even without the breakout night he just had.
NEXT: Malik Monk States The Obvious About Disastrous Lakers Season