Lake Show Life
Fansided

The Lakers Should Prioritize Bringing Back Tarik Black Next Season

By Anthony Yassa

Apr 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Tarik Black (28) defends against Minnesota Timberwolves center Justin Hamilton (41) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Tarik Black (28) defends against Minnesota Timberwolves center Justin Hamilton (41) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Overcoming the adversity that was the 2015-16 Lakers’ season, Tarik Black did more than enough to earn himself a spot with LA moving forward

Despite Byron Scott’s insistence upon keeping him on the bench, Lakers’ center, Tarik Black, managed to make a significant impact nearly every time he stepped on the floor this season, however limited that may have been.

Instead of focusing on developing their young talent for the future, Scott insisted on playing Brandon Bass as the primary backup center until five games left in the season. Seemingly no amount of poor play from Bass, who looked lost for much of his time on the court, cost him his spot in the rotation.

More from Lake Show Life

This becomes even more frustrating when you realize that the improvement over Bass that Black provides is striking. Not only is Black a significantly better rebounder than his counterpart, he also provides a much more imposing presence at the rim defensively.

Despite the fact that both of them are undersized for the center position, Black’s strength paired with his athleticism allow him to be much more effective at the position than Bass has typically been.

On the offensive side of the ball Black does a great deal to help the guards he’s playing with. Consistently active, Black uses his athleticism to move around both off the ball and in the pick and roll, allowing easy assist opportunities for his teammates. Tarik Black has demonstrated particular effectiveness in creating space for ball handlers and shooters with strong screens, something which the Lakers team lacked all season long.

The Lakers consistently responded well as a team to Black’s presence. His energy often proved to be contagious, with the team exhibiting more fire and passion when he got significant playing time. Although this is a difficult thing to measure, the Lakers were clearly a more energetic team with Black in the game.

Even in the final game of the season, which centered around Kobe’s final game, Tarik Black made a noticeable impact. Late in the game, Black came up with a ridiculous block, which led to a transition opportunity for the Lakers and ultimately keyed the run that set up Kobe’s late game heroics.

Keeping Tarik Black on the team would also help to build continuity and chemistry as the team enters another off-season which will inevitably cause significant roster turnover.

More from Lakers News

The front-office’s infatuation with one-year deals has created a poor atmosphere in Los Angeles, and has prevented anything nearing cohesion from being created. Having another player return to the roster could help alleviate that issue.

While Black is most likely best suited to coming off the bench in the future, he can undoubtedly play a significant role on a competitive team.

With the Lakers in desperate need of role players and contributors, re-signing Black should be a top priority as the Lakers enter an off season in which they will most likely struggle to attract free agents.

Next: NBA 2016 Mock Draft: Who Do the Lakers Select?

The Lakers should pounce before he gets an offer sheet, and sign him to a long-term deal this off-season.

Home/Lakers News