3 Goals for Houston Rockets power forward Gary Clark

2. Show consistency on defense

Gary Clark excelled defensively as a Cincinnati Bearcat. In his four seasons from 2014-18, Clark averaged 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, winning awards for his tenacity. He earned his first AAC Defensive Player of the Year award as a sophomore and won it once again in his senior year along with AAC Player of the Year.

Last season with the Rockets, Clark averaged half a block in his 12.6 minutes per game, which, when adjusted again to a per-36-minute figure, would amount to 1.5. In his seven games in the G League last season, he also averaged one block per game.

While it’s tough to see if Gary would hold true to these estimated figures without seeing him play more minutes, his college career is proof that he has the skill set to be a great defender in the NBA. Clark has shown flashes defensively this preseason with nice position defense and quick hands that have resulted in a steal per game (in just 10.5 minutes per).

Occasionally, though, Clark has gotten lost on the defensive end a few times and not been able to demonstrate a consistent defensive effort when he’s on the court. While rebounding might allow Gary to see a few more minutes, flashing back to his college-level defense would see them increase even more.

Next: No. 1