AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – It used to bother Tarik Black. In his first couple of seasons, he heard people discuss the young core of the Lakers, but never heard his own name included.
D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, of course. Jordan Clarkson. Then Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac came along.
After three years of existing on the periphery, admired only by those extra fond of the dirty work, the Lakers’ new starting center came to peace with his low profile just in time to watch it evaporate.
“What God has in store for me he has in store for me,” said Black, who finished with nine points and 10 rebounds in Monday’s 121-107 victory over the Knicks. “I don’t need the praise of everyone to be thrown into a group.”
Black has elbowed his way into that conversation anyway, earning the trust of Coach Luke Walton and, in the process, a much more prominent role. Walton’s move to start Ingram over Luol Deng in Monday’s win drew the most attention, but benching Timofey Mozgov in favor of Black was just as revealing.
The third-year big man started four games at power forward while Julius Randle battled pneumonia, and slid over to center on Monday.
He has “cemented himself as our best defensive player,” Walton said.
That might not be saying much for a team that ranks 29th in points allowed per 100 possessions, but that makes Black all the more crucial in Walton’s mind.
“It’s tough to take him out when he’s doing that,” Walton said.
Black said he has “always hung his hat on defense,” going back to his college days at Kansas and Memphis, where Walton worked with Black as an assistant coach during the 2011 lockout, and to his prep days at Ridgeway High in Memphis.
“Was a great shot blocker in high school,” the 6-foot-9 Black said, “but, you know, in the NBA people aren’t too much shorter than me.”
Walton said Black’s name should not be left out of discussions about the Lakers’ young core. He is 25 and, Walton said, has plenty of room to improve.
“He has got plenty of upside because he plays a simple game,” Walton said, “where he makes the right decisions, he makes the right reads and he’s got the athleticism and the strength to be really good at that.
“That’s kind of what this league is about, is getting really good at certain things that your job is.”
Undrafted in 2014, Black was cut by the Houston Rockets a quarter of the way through the season and landed with the Lakers, starting 27 of 38 games. He finished 12th in All-Rookie balloting.
“Just wanted to go explode after that and do some things,” Black said, “but you have to mature and understand that this is a business and we are professional athletes. You have to remain professional throughout your career, no matter the circumstances.”
That’s something that applies to Mozgov, the player Black has replaced in the lineup. Whereas Deng still logged 24 minutes as a reserve against the Knicks, Mozgov never got off the bench.
“I’m going to be professional, no matter what,” Mozgov said. “It’s coach’s decision, I can’t change it, I’ve still got to be ready to play. So, simple.”
Walton empathized with Mozgov’s apparent frustration.
“It’s tough,” Walton said, “because (Mozgov) wasn’t playing bad. It’s just we weren’t winning and we’ve got 20-something games left. He was doing what we were asking of him.”
The Lakers, however, were at a crossroads.
“It just felt like we had to try to do something to either start winning games,” Walton said, “or, at least, make the roles bigger of these young guys and let them have that pressure and that responsibility this late into the season.”
Mozgov, who averaged 7.5 points and 5 rebounds in 52 games, spoke only briefly after the Lakers (18-36) practiced at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday, where they will play the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. He was in a hurry to get back on the court to go over some things with Zubac, his pupil for the day.
“I’ve just got to work a little bit more with Zu, on myself and on Zu’s skills,” Mozgov said.
It remains unclear what Walton’s long-term plan is for his now-benched veterans. Deng and Mozgov are both under contract through 2020, having joined the Lakers with deals worth a total $136 million last summer.
Walton said he expects to move forward with Black and Zubac logging the majority of minutes at center, but pointed to an upcoming game against Sacramento and center DeMarcus Cousins as a situation where Mozgov could be leaned on heavily.
Mozgov was enthusiastic and supportive of his teammates on the bench Monday, Walton said.
“As long as he does that, obviously there’s no problem,” he said. “If he’s mad at me or mad at whatever, that’s understandable. He’s our starting center then last night didn’t get a chance to play. I’d be more disappointed if he wasn’t more frustrated by that.”
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