The New Orleans Pelicans have bolstered their roster with key additions this offseason, but one that could fly under the radar is Ian Clark, who was signed to a one-year deal after the Golden State Warriors committed to terms with Nick Young.
Clark made the most of his two-year stint with the team, going from a third-string point guard to a capable off-guard that can shoot the three reliably.
The Pelicans will use a hybrid starting backcourt with Rajon Rondo at the point and Jrue Holiday at the shooting guard slot, allowing Clark to step into either position as a capable second-unit option.
“Being able to show what I can do in the minutes I get, I want to be able to expand on that this year,” Clark told Jim Eichenhoffer of NBA.com, after averaging 14.8 minutes last season for the 67-win Warriors. “I want to show that I can do that in extended minutes and be consistent at it, and help my team win, whether that’s on the defensive or offensive end. I want to show that it wasn’t just because of that team (that I played well).”
New Orleans will need Clark to step up in multiple positions, but it is his outside shooting that will keep him in the game — an area the team has been looking to address since the start of the offseason, now hopeful to keep Dante Cunningham in home confines.
“Utilizing my shooting and scoring ability is something I do well,” Clark said. “I’ve never really been a true point guard, but handling the ball and initiating offense are things I can do. I couldn’t do too much of that in Golden State, but that’s how I view myself. Also being able to depend multiple positions is important. Obviously there are bigger wings in the league, so being able to make sure I can defend different matchups is something that can help the team.
“I’ll do whatever the team needs. It all depends on the lineups we have on the floor. We have other guys here who are pure point guards who can play that position very well, but also slide over to the two.”
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