Houston Rockets: 6 takeaways from preseason opener against Shanghai

5. Chris Clemons deserves a roster spot, maybe even a chance in the rotation

Chris Clemons was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the preseason opener, and it won’t be the last we see of the 5-foot-9 point guard. The summer league sensation continued his push for a spot on the final roster with 21 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in almost 19 minutes of play.

He scored his points from all over the floor, most notably shooting 5-for-13 from deep. He also made both of his free throws, and made 2 of his 3 shots from inside the arc.

Clemons plays with no fear and does not let his lack of height hold him back, much like Nate Robinson or Isaiah Thomas. Robinson and Thomas (among many other famous little guys) have shown that height doesn’t always matter, and you can thrive in the league as a short guy.

Clemons led the NCAA division 1 scoring last season with 30.1 points per game, though he played a weak schedule as a result of going to Campbell College in the largely irrelevant Big South. He followed this up with a five-game summer league campaign for Houston in which he averaged 20.8 points, 4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and made 25 threes from 58 attempts (43.1 percent).

He may not perform at the same level against better opposition, but he clearly has the skills that can make him effective in spot minutes, maybe as early as this season. He deserves a roster spot as a project player on a team which is lacking youth.

Next: No. 4