One offseason highlight for the Utah Jazz in 2023 was Talen Horton-Tucker opting into his $11 million player option, re-upping for a second season with the franchise. Looking ahead to his fifth NBA season in a contract year, what many fans hope to be a breakout season. After an up-and-down first four years in the league with Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers, we have hit a pivotal point in THT’s career.
During his first season in Utah, Horton-Tucker posted averages of 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in ~20 minutes per game. For a former second-round pick who’s still only 22 years old, these are inspiring averages to see. Also, with an extremely enticing frame for his position (6-4, 235lbs, 7-1 wingspan), there might be some untapped potential here waiting to be unleashed.
Looking deeper into the numbers though, there are a few aspects of his game that need some stout improvements. His underwhelming shooting splits (41/28/75) make it hard to fully depend on him as a high-volume scorer, and his assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0) limits his ability to be the full-time point guard.
Especially when given a larger offensive workload as he did after last season’s All-Star Break, said issues continued to linger. He displayed an enhanced scoring output with over 18 points per game but at the cost of 15 shots per night on persistent shaky efficiency (43/32/75).
His assist average also increase to six per night, but his turnover average also effectively took a sharp jump (3.7). There’s some work for THT to do to have staying power on this team long-term.
The answer, however, might be solved by transitioning Horton-Tucker to a different role with new expectations for next season. Instead of trying to mesh THT as an offense initiator or primary point guard, he might prove more effective off the ball and utilize him more as a 3&D threat.
There are some glaring holes in Horton-Tucker’s ability to be a consistent perimeter threat, but that doesn’t come without some upside. In 2022-23, he shot significantly better from deep in the corner (36.7%) than his averages would have you assume. Also, over 75% of his three-point FGs ended up coming off an assist, suggesting he could be dangerous as the secondary option off the catch instead of creating shots himself.
Limiting THT’s responsibility on offense could also help maximize his potential on the other end of the floor. He has yet to make a significant name for himself on the defensive side of the ball, but he does have the physical tools to develop into a positive defender.
Talen has the body to match up with the best guards in the association. With a sizeable 7-1 wingspan, that unique length can translate to those pass deflections, the upside on the glass, and an overall size advantage on-court. Those physicals for a guard at the NBA level are rare and valuable, so the Jazz should attempt to get the most out of it.
Bottom Line:
Sure, developing Talen Horton-Tucker into a nightly 20-point-per-game scorer and franchise PG would be a dream come true. However, let’s step back to see how he could fit best on the Jazz’s roster.
There are enough candidates on hand to take the bulk of the offensive workload at the same position (Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson), so seeing how THT could be impactful in his role as a versatile defender and increasingly off the ball offensively should be the priority for Utah entering next year.
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