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Lakers: 3 Takeaways From the Preseason Opener vs Kings

By Christian Rivas

Oct 4, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (left) handles the ball defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov (right) during the first half at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (left) handles the ball defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov (right) during the first half at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tarik Black and Larry Nance Jr. Proving Their Worth

Apr 10, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) and center Tarik Black (28) defend against Houston Rockets center Josh Smith (5) during the first half at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) and center Tarik Black (28) defend against Houston Rockets center Josh Smith (5) during the first half at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

If Luke Walton is going to continue to emphasize defense this season, Larry Nance Jr. and Tarik Black should see a ton of playing time.

Going into training camp, there was some speculation around who will come off the bench for the Lakers, particularly in the frontcourt.

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Larry Nance Jr., Thomas Robinson, Tarik Black, Travis Wear, Yi Jianlian, Zach Auguste and Ivica Zubac are all fighting for a spot in the rotation, and six of them got the chance to show their stuff Tuesday against the Kings.

Of the six players mentioned, only Zubac, Nance and Black are on guaranteed contracts. Despite a guaranteed roster spot, Nance and Black were playing like their NBA lives depended on it.

Black, who struggled to find a spot in Byron Scott’s rotation last season, had a monster game, finishing with 15 points on 5-5 shooting and 5 rebounds in his 16 minutes of playing time.

His effort on the defensive end kept the Lakers in the game, but his effort on the offensive end won them the game.

Earlier in the season, head coach Luke Walton promised the former University of Memphis product a “fair shot” at cracking the rotation. Walton spoke to the media about his role with the team going forward after his breakout game.

“We’re still figuring all of that out,” Walton said. “Honestly, we don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll keep trying different lineups, but he definitely helped his case tonight the way he played.”

Black isn’t the only returning Laker that should be featured in Walton’s rotation. Nance also had a huge impact on the game defensively in the second half.

Nance was tasked with guarding Sacramento Kings’ superstar DeMarcus Cousins on several possessions and did a really good job at doing so. His reputation as a defensive stopper has only grown since last summer, as has his ability a scorer.

While Nance is known for his poster dunks, he showed patience on the offensive end last night. While he only finished the night with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, his presence on both ends of the floor was key to the Lakers win.

Expect both of those players to see the floor together a lot this season.

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