The former Jayhawk was waived by the Houston Rockets to make room for Josh Smith. After being awarded to the Los Angeles Lakers, will he find a role with his new team?
Less than halfway through his first NBA season, Tarik Black is already dealing with the business aspect of the game.
The Houston Rockets waived Black last week in order to sign forward Josh Smith, who had previously been cut by the Detroit Pistons. The Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers claimed him off waivers, and the young big man was awarded to L.A. because of the team’s worse overall record.
Black’s departure from Houston certainly wasn’t performance-based. In 25 games with the Rockets, he averaged 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. He primarily served as Dwight Howard’s backup and started 12 games when Howard was out with an injury. Per 36 minutes, Black is averaging 9.6 points and 11.7 rebounds.
A four-year college athlete, Black spent his first three years at Memphis before transferring to Kansas. However, the presence of Joel Embiid in the Jayhawks’ frontcourt greatly diminished his role on the team. He also missed time due to injury.
Unable to truly establish himself at the college level, Black went undrafted in 2014, but caught on with the Rockets’ Summer League team. In five Orlando Summer League games, he averaged 10 points and six rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game.
The Rockets signed Black after a strong Summer League performance and continued to play well during the preseason. He averaged 5.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game, 2.5 of those rebounds coming on the offensive end.
Now a member of the Lakers, Black will come off the bench and attempt to carve out a spot in Head coach Byron Scott’s rotation. Julius Randle is out for the season with a fractured leg and Robert Sacre has failed to prove his worth in the NBA, giving the 23-year-old Black an opportunity to receive additional minutes. His competition, though, will be second-year forward Ryan Kelly, who is set to return from a hamstring injury this weekend. The former Duke Blue Devil played well last year under former Head coach Mike D’Antoni.
The Lakers are in desperate need of a rebuild, and Scott would be wise to give Black as much playing time as possible. The 6-foot-11-inch, 253-pound center has a high motor in addition to solid rebounding skills. His shot-blocking leaves much to be desired, however. He is currently averaging just 0.1 blocks per game this season.
Having played behind Dwight Howard, a former Defensive Player of the Year who is one of the league’s elite rim protectors, and now backing up Jordan Hill, Black is getting to learn from some established NBA big men. In two games with L.A., he has failed to make an appearance, but don’t be surprised to see Scott go to Black as the season progresses.
Check out one of Black’s strong performances this season:
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