The Los Angeles Lakers may get some much-needed help in the frontcourt on Friday night. Center Tarik Black, who has been nursing a sprained ankle, may be ready to get back on the floor with the Lakers facing the Philadelphia 76ers.
— Get 15% off everything in the Lakers Nation Store right now by using the promo code ‘Lakers’ —
According to Mark Medina of OC Register, Black is considered questionable for tonight’s road game against the 76ers:
The Lakers (10-18) have listed reserve forward Tarik Black as questionable to play on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers (6-19) at Wells Fargo Center after missing the past five games with a sprained right ankle.
Black went down with the ankle injury in the loss to the Utah Jazz back on Dec. 5. Although Black isn’t a major piece to the puzzle for Luke Walton and company, the Lakers are a better team when he’s coming off the bench in arguably one of the league’s better second units.
Last summer, Black’s future was somewhat up in the air with a fair amount of uncertainty on whether the Lakers would sign him to a new deal. Fortunately for Black, the two sides agreed to terms on a two-year contract which will pay him upwards of $6 million over the next two seasons.
The 25-year-old has played well in his role as the backup center this season. Last year, Black fell out of favor and out of the rotation under then-head coach Byron Scott but has bounced back this year with Walton playing him an average of 15.4 minutes per game.
In 23 games played this season, Black is averaging 5.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest while shooting 50 percent from the floor.
