Warriors Analysis: Which Training Camp Invite Could Make The Roster?
By Owen Dillon
Ian Clark
Mar 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ian Clark (21) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at EnergySolutions Arena. Portland won 92-89. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Clark is a 6-3 shooting guard who played last year with the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz and each team’s D-League affiliate. Clark is a bit undersized for his position, which is something that could hold him back. The Warriors pride themselves of having players that can defend multiple positions, but at 6′ 3″, Clark really only has the size to defend point guards.
Additionally, Clark really isn’t all that good at defending anyone. His Defensive Box Plus/Minus, an advanced stat that measures how the player contributes on defense in relation to an average player on an average team, is a career -1.4, which doesn’t bode well for him.
The real question, however, is can he shoot? The answer: kind of. At Belmont University, Clark was an excellent shooter, but his stroke hasn’t quite translated to the pro game yet. He is shooting 34.4 percent from beyond the arc over the course of his career, and just 36 percent from the whole field. Clark is a long shot to make the roster, and unless his defense is much better than his numbers suggest, he is going to need to improve his shooting drastically and impress during the preseason in order to join the Dubs.
Next: Jarell Eddie