New Orleans Pelicans: Best Free Agent Option Based on Hustle Stats

New Orleans Pelicans: Gary Clark’s Hustle Stats

Gary Clark: Hustler

Gary Clark did not play big minutes for the Magic, but was still able to place himself near the top of the league in several categories of hustle stats.

These are all important things that go unnoticed a lot of the time, and they are also things which the Pelicans do poorly. Not a single Pelican ranked highly in any of these categories, which is one of the reasons their season fell apart.

Screen Assists

Screen assists are simply screens that lead to hoops. Gary Clark averages 1.2 of these per game, which is more than any current Pelican. To give you an idea, his 1.2 screen assists is more than Steven Adams, who is a full-time starter on a playoff team.

Defensive Loose Balls Recovered

Gary Clark recovers 1.0 defensive loose balls every game, which is 4th overall in the NBA. This is an important hustle stat, as these 50/50 balls lead to fewer shots for your opponent and more potential fast breaks for you. Clark’s number is better than Kawhi Leonard and Fred VanVleet, who play far more minutes than Clark.

Charges Drawn

Clark is 8th in the NBA in charges drawn, another important hustle stat. Taking a charge is creating a turnover for the other team and giving your team a possession. Clark is ahead of defensive standouts Montrezl Harrell, Victor Oladipo and Justin Holiday.

Contested Shots

Tired of seeing teams shoot wide-open shots without a hand in their face? Enter Gary Clark. Clark contests 9.2 shots per game, 5.2 of the 2-point variety and 4.0 from behind the arc. His contested shot total is better than Kawhi, OG Anunoby and Jaylen Brown if you were wondering.

Gary Clark is clearly a hustle player, but does he fit on the New Orleans Pelicans?