In our previous mock draft, we actually had Talen Horton-Tucker being selected by the Blazers 22nd overall. However, Horton-Tucker’s stock sees a small rise here. He will certainly be tempting to front offices. His high level of energy, physicality, and 7’1″ wingspan make him a defensive nightmare for opposing guards. His impressive measurables could lead to meteoric rise during the combine as guards with similar length (Frank Ntilikina, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) ended up being selected in the lottery.
Although he will be selected for his defensive ability, Horton-Tucker has shown flashes on offense. He has scored over 20 points four times this season and is making 48.1% of his two-point attempts. His length makes him a dangerous finisher at the rim. He has also shown the ability to be a facilitator, as well. Horton-Tucker possesses good court vision and has had four games with at least five assists, which is impressive for a freshman shooting guard.
Horton-Tucker’s shooting is definitely a work in progress; he’s only making 29% of his threes. However, at 18 years old, Horton-Tucker has lottery talent potential. He could lock down opposing guards, be a playmaker, and is capable of scoring at a high level. If he puts it all together and develops as a shooter, the sky is the limit.
The Jazz have a solid roster, but they lack a star outside of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Adding another elite talent is really the only way that they will improve, so they should simply take the best player available in Horton-Tucker. Quinn Snyder experimented with playing Mitchell at point guard and it worked very well. A backcourt consisting of Mitchell and Horton-Tucker could be dominant on both ends of the floor.