Leaky Black was in the starting lineup Friday against the Spurs, taking over the small forward spot for the Kings while De'Andre Hunter sat out with illness. It was Black's first start of the season, a sudden shift in role for a player who had been waiting for a chance to open a game.
Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reported the move, and the change gave Black a larger stage on a night when the Kings needed a fill-in. He had already made three appearances this season and was 4-for-11 from three-point range before Friday, so the start followed a stretch in which he had done enough off the bench to stay in the mix.
That is what makes the lineup call notable. Black had come off the bench in his previous two outings and still logged 20-plus minutes in each one, a sign that he had earned real playing time even before getting the nod. The production was there, but the start had not come until Friday, which made the promotion feel overdue rather than experimental.
Whether it sticks is the part left open. Black's first start may give the Kings a better read on how he fits when he is asked to begin a game, but there was no indication that the move was anything more than a response to Hunter's absence. For now, Friday was about one opening, one lineup change and one player finally moving from reserve duty into the first five.
