Tarik Black of the Los Angeles finally getting Media Run: Let's SEE if he gets more RUN for the Los Angeles Lakers.
A former player, coach, a Lakers fanatic since 1978-79, a Basketball Jones to the point that my passion has led me to expressing my opinion, while providing statistical data, in written forum here. Pundits, experts, and broadcasters near and far continue to fuel my fire especially when "sources say" is often a cover-up to not having ANY empirical data whatsoever.
These are the things that have prompted me to:
(1) Contact the agent (s) of certain NBA coaches to verify salaries, payouts and contracts that were being FALSELY spewed out over the Los Angeles airwaves not that long ago
(2) Contact Marshall University to confirm whether or not Mike D'Antoni was to be their next head coach (men's basketball).. {shouts to DAN D'Antoni}
and
(3) Contact and leave messages for the Agent of Mr. Tarik Black of the Los Angeles Lakers.
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| #boomboomTB |
This is about Black though and it may NOT be about Tarik Black the basketball player and more about Tarik Black the person.
Analytics take into account psychological profiles. This information is something I am no privy to. The point here is to suggest that we simply do NOT know what is going on behind the doors of Lakers' Brass.
That being said, Byron Scott is recently recorded as saying that,
After the final horn, Scott told reporters that over the summer he advised Black on how he can have a “10-, 15-year career.” According to the Lakers coach, his third-string center has yet to hear the advice.
“He hasn’t [focused on defense],” Scott said. “My message was you should play like Kenneth Faried, Dennis Rodman, Ben Wallace, guys like that. And basically that is that they play balls-out, full of energy, aggressive. They didn’t care about the offensive end. And I think to me, in the year-and-a-half or two that I’ve had him, that’s what he has to do to be an integral part of any team.”
That is great. Brilliant. Coaches...Parents...Individuals should all aspire to be the very best that THEY can while also aspiring to those who have achieved greatness themselves.
Ben Wallace's Jersey was just retired for the Detroit Pistons, Dennis Rodman is enshrined in Springfield, Mass., and Kenneth Faried really IS a "manimal" who Laker Fans know to be a guy that literally destroys the purple and gold.
Ben Wallace came to mind, especially considering the wonderful moment he had recently. Congratulations Big Ben!
Time will certainly tell as far as being likened to any one of those players. Those are things we do NOT know.
21.1 MPG, 58% FG, 6.3 TRB, .6 BLK, 7.2 PPG over 38 games for the Lakers.
It is difficult to make solid comparisons, from a number's perspective, considering how inconsistently Mr. Black HAS played. His numbers are down this season at:
3.9 ppg and 4.6 TRB but his minutes are currently at an average of 11.8 (almost HALF the minutes per game as he received LAST season).
Talk Nerdy To Me...
Here is a comparison against the esteemed company, in their second years, that Coach Byron mentioned:
Faried:
28.1 mpg, 55 FG%, 61 FT%, 9.2 TRB, 1 A, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 11.5 PTS
Wallace:
16.8 mpg, 52 FG%, 36% FT, 4.8 TRB, .4 A, .9 STL, 1.1 BLK, 3.1 PTS
Rodman:
26.2 mpg, 54%, 8.7 TRB, 1.3 A, .9 STL, .5 BLK, 11.6 PTS
Those numbers compare nicely. As do the "per 36" and per 100 over the first two seasons for these players and comparable to career numbers. The problem with ALL of that is assumption. WE assume Tarik Black gets 11.5 PTS and 11.4 TRB per 36 minutes of ball played. Who knows, his numbers could go down with more consistent minutes.
The reality is simply that he needs PT (Playing Time). And he needs QUALITY PT. Not JUST minutes thrown out in the final moments of blowout by Houston the other night. Even in THAT game, Tarik Black got 4 Rebounds in 4 minutes.
One of the Lakers problems coming into this season was a log-jam at the "6-9 250 lb" spot. They have 4-5 guys there, including Larry Nance. Because Nance showed so nicely in Summer and has continued to impress, Randle not going anywhere and Brandon Bass performing solidly night IN and night Out it becomes difficult to find the floor for the Lakers. At least the purple and gold sent him to "the D" where Tarik posted :
16.6 PTS, 11.4 TRB, 2.0 BLK, and most importantly 32.6 MPG.
So, when Byron chooses to allow Roy Hibbert to capture approximately 24 minutes a game and also look for ways to insert players like Sacre and MWP, young Tarik cannot get a sniff. (Hopefully THAT has changed)
But..
When he does. He does well. Sure, he has his deficiencies like anyone. It would be nice to have him mentored by Sacre, MWP AND Bass in developing his game to have some of ALL of those guys:
Fundamental Defense, Toughness AND a nice face-up jumper.
ME: "Hey Tarik... Be Better Than Faried."
Tarik Black: What?
I said, "BE BETTER than WALLACE!"
Black: What did you say?
"BE BETTER THAN RODMAN EVER WISHED!"
Tarik: What are you trying to say?
Me: Be the best "Tarik." And you don't have to look ANY farther than looking at guys on your squad that have been there... done that (world champion Ron Artest)...
(that conversation happened in my head)
Hey Byron, who did Coach Riley tell YOU to be like? And in less than two seasons when you DID not fulfill YOUR HOF criteria did he punish YOU by sending YOU to the bench?
Just curious.
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| Dennis Rodman Byron? |