Houston Rockets: Should Danuel House take Gary Clark’s minutes?

A couple of young players on the Houston Rockets are fighting for minutes against each other. Who will end up with most of the playing time?

The Houston Rockets are playing younger this year than they normally have in the past. That includes giving heavy minutes at times to players like Gary Clark, a rookie, and the recently signed Danuel House.

Throughout the season, Gary Clark has slowly become the backup forward for the team and has played well. His offense is still developing, but he’s had nice games on that end and is solid on defense. His play defensively is what earned him minutes and made Melo expendable.

Last game, though, things changed. Gary Clark has been struggling mightily recently on offense, enough for the Rockets to make a change. They did just that, giving his minutes to G League and Summer League standout Danuel House.

D'Antoni said Danuel House earned that spot tonight over Gary Clark in the rotation. "His activity, his physicality. He runs the floor… He can play. He belongs in the NBA somewhere."

— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 2, 2018

Should House continue to take those minutes from Clark or should the Rockets stick with their guy?

The case for Clark

Gary Clark was a complete surprise for the Rockets. He was undrafted and signed as a free agent after a great four-year college career at Cincinnati.

The Rockets liked his ability to defend and the potential for him to become a solid shooter in the league. While the defense has been impressive, especially in the Jeff Bzdelik switching scheme, his shot still needs quite a bit of work.

Still, it’s nice to have a player like Clark develop because he could be a great asset to the team now and in the future. His versatility is something coveted in the league and the Rockets need that from their backup forward. They should continue to play him minutes for now.

The case for House

Danuel House currently has a more developed offensive game than Clark. He can shoot the 3 fairly decently and is an extremely athletic player that can make plays on both ends.

His defense might not be as good as Clark, but the offense makes him a bit more playable off the bench. He is still solid on defense, but not quite as versatile.

In a game where he played a decent amount of minutes (23) against the Mavs, House dropped 18 points off the bench. He was making some crazy shots and was an all-around spark plug, despite the loss. His recent play has earned him the minutes over Clark.

Elsewhere

This argument may be futile soon, though. The Houston Rockets will likely continue to look for wing depth as the buyout market approaches and the team calls about trades. The role that Clark/House are in right now would likely be filled by a more experienced player.