Summer school
Gary Clark hones skills to bolster Rockets.
LAS VEGAS — The Rockets and Sacramento Kings were tied as Tuesday’s summer league game moved into its final minute. Rockets forward Gary Clark took a pass from Chris Chiozza on the wing and considered his options.
Normally under those circumstances, Clark would fire his 3pointer. But he had missed a few, and NBA Summer League is about growth anyway. Instead, he attacked the closeout, hitting Kings forward Hollis Thompson with a hard dribble to his right and a move to his left, then finishing at the rim with a slick scoop that put the Rockets ahead to stay.
The Rockets want Clark to take advantage of the summer league opportunities to expand his game, to do more than wait at the 3-point line and shoot only standstill 3s. But the reason he opted to drive also pointed to the improvement Clark still must make.
“I probably missed every shot, like four or five shots before that,” Clark said. “Just try to go downhill. I know the game’s on the line. Just try to get a bucket.
“My demeanor is … very laidback. When I can play, I’m usually efficient. You don’t really see me try to go score. Usually, I’m just spotting up, try to shoot 3s. I made it a point to try to go downhill.”
For Clark, summer league is not for catching a scout’s eye. Undrafted in 2018, he signed a twoway contract with the Rockets that was converted in December to a standard three-year deal. For him, it is about improvement, with being able to drive a part of that.
“I think it will be good for Gary to be more aggressive and be able to attack and get downhill and finish through some contact,” said Rockets assistant coach Matt Brase, who is coaching the summer team. “A lot of times this year, he was on the perimeter, getting wide-open, catch-and-shoot 3s. If he can add the straight-line drive to his game, it would be great.
“We don’t want him dancing, going side to side to create. But if he can attack the closeout and get to the rim and finish, that would be a good thing for him to include to his arsenal.”
Clark spent a healthy portion of his 51 games played as a rookie in the Rockets’ rotation. When the team moved on from Carmelo Anthony just 10 games into the season, it was in part to move up Clark.
Clark made just 33.1 percent of his shots and 29.7 percent of his 3-pointers, however, and was supplanted in the rotation by Danuel House Jr. Clark showed promise as a range shooter, adjusting to a Rockets style in which he put up 3s far more regularly than he had in four seasons at Cincinnati. But his first season in the NBA largely showed him where he needs to improve.
“I came from college. I think I impressed a lot of people with (shooting range) this past season and in pre-draft,” Clark said. “Now, my main focus, along with all the other things I’m working on, is to be consistent.
“One thing you learn with being a pro is … you know, Eric Gordon, he can sit there and literally knock down 40 in a row straight out of the locker room. When it comes to the game, he can run off 10. For me, you watch my stats — shooting-wise, I’m very up-anddown.”
With that, he cited another teammate, Chris Paul, and the losses Clark took when competing with Rockets veterans.
“Chris would always tell you, ‘It’s all mental,’ ” Clark said. “We do shooting games. Those guys win every time. They’ve been vets for a long time — pros. They know how to mentally turn it on.”
Clark has shown the touch to do that. But in the first three summer league games, he made 36 percent of his shots —and just 28.6 percent of his 3s — in averaging 13.3 points per game. However, Clark said he has learned to maintain confidence in his shot.
“They always say, if you’re a pro, you’re a shooter for a reason,” Clark said. “Trust your ability. You’re in the league for a reason. Guys get paid to do what you do. Coach (Mike) D’Antoni, he’s really adamant about getting them up. I remember one time early in the season, I was playing a lot. I missed four in the first half. He told me to take five more in the second half. I ended up making like three.”
The Rockets will expect better shooting than Clark has shown in Las Vegas, but he said the path to a place in the rotation will be by providing defense, rebounding and an ability to defend multiple positions.
He said he did feel pressure in the first two summer league games to play like a relative veteran, but on Tuesday he relaxed enough to be aggressive and productive, scoring 24 points to go with eight rebounds.
“Gary has been working hard,” Brase said. “He’s been in the gym. He kind of had some rough stretches in summer league, but he came out (on Tuesday) and did a great job, played with a little bit of confidence, shooting the open shots, attacking the rim a little bit.”
With that, Clark also earned a reminder of the rewards that could come when his last drive to the rim earned the Rockets their first summer win.