The injury bug has been an issue for the Los Angeles Lakers this season and one player who has been affected is big man Tarik Black.
Black dealt with an ankle injury earlier this season which kept him out for nearly a month, but he has been back for a couple of weeks now and was just getting his form back. Unfortunately he may now have suffered another setback.
In the third quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons, Black turned his ankle and didn’t return to the game. According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, head coach Luke Walton indicated the injury didn’t seem to serious:
Luke said that Tarik sprained one of his ankles, but he indicated it feels fine
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 16, 2017
The injury is an untimely one for Black who was really proving himself to be a valuable contributor on this Lakers team. Though he is undersized for the center position, his length, energy, and athleticism allow him to make a big difference on a nightly basis and he is enjoying a career year.
Thankfully for the Lakers the injury doesn’t seem to be anything serious and hopefully Black won’t miss any time. If he does the Walton will likely again turn to rookie Ivica Zubac who has seen some court time recently and has looked solid in those minutes.