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5 - Earl Clark

6-10, 226 Small Forward
Louisville Junior
Birthday
01/17/88 (36.2 yrs)
Hometown
Plainfield, NJ
High School
Rahway
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
10
Defense
8
Strength
8
Quickness
8
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
6
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
7
Potential
9
Passing
8
Intangibles
6

NBA Comparison: Marvin Williams/Boris Diaw

Strengths: Versatile combo forward … A mismatch offensively because he can attack effectively inside and out … Has a great combination of size, strength and speed … His athleticism and explosiveness allow him to play against bigger defenders inside or quicker ones on the perimeter… Possesses a surprisingly quick first step thanks to his extremely long and powerful strides … His highpost game has become his niche, because he can back down and outmuscle smaller players, or face up and attack the bigger ones … Has developed a nice one to two dribble pullup, he shoots it with good rhythm and he gets great elevation, making it extremely difficult to contest … With his back to the basket, he shows great patience and nice footwork … He mostly shoots fadeways from the low post, but he still gets his shoulders squared to the basket and converts at a good clip … Because of his size and athleticism, his fadeaway is almost impossible to stop, and he has also become good at utilizing the glass which widens his angles even further … He gets a lot of his offense out of energy plays and by knowing where to be in the offense … Whether it’s making the right cuts, spotting up when the help rotates or by attacking the O glass … As much as he’s improved scoring wise, he has continued to be very unselfish, looking to make the reads and distribute the ball … He is a stat filler in virtually every category, not only does he get to the glass with regularity, but he has great anticipation which allows him to get into passing lanes as well as block shots … Defensively, with his physical package, he has the potential to guard 4 positions on the floor … Playing in the Louisville system, his understanding of team concepts is very advanced, although he has not played man to man with any sort of regularity …

Weaknesses: Was able to get away with a lot at the college level because he was such a superior athlete … Many times he would simply go through or shoot over defenders, without having to make any sort of move … This might become an issue at the NBA level, because he has not show much in terms of actual go-to moves, whether it’s on the perimeter or in the post … While his jumpshot has slightly improved, it is still inconsistent and it looks just as bad (he shoots off his shoulder, with his elbow out and almost shot-putting the ball) … To compound his problems on the perimeter, if the defense is set and he is forced to put the ball on the deck and make any sort of counter move, he becomes uncomfortable and has a hard time operating … Other than the fadeway, he has very little else in his low post repertoire … Even though he can attack going both directions, he absolutely does not want to fish with his left hand, in the most extreme situations that would make a left hand finish almost the only option, he still chooses to switch back to his right hand … His freethrow shooting has continued to be a problem, which could be attributed to his form … His athleticism gets suppressed because he needs a lot of room to explode and he also does not like to attack when contact is coming from helpside (a testament to the low number of attempts at the line) … Makes a lot of careless plays, and leaves his feet frequently to make passes, to the tune of 3.2 TOs per game …

Borko Popic – 5/27/2009

 

Strengths: Clark is a rare breed of SF who makes those around him better with his great vision and unselfish passing ability … Has prototypical small forward dimensions with long arms and a strong wiry frame, a very bouncy athlete … He has shown a great deal of improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons in both his body and game, a tribute to his strong work ethic and desire … Hits the glass extremely hard, his long arms and explosive leaping ability make him a Windex man. His added strength has given him the ability to battle inside with bigger players … Has very good touch and form on his shot. Similar to Danny Granger with his all around skills: passing, ball handling and shooting … His versatility sets him apart from most small forwards as he has the ball handling and passing ability to create shots for himself and teammates …

Weaknesses: Showed a solid touch in his freshman year hitting 37% from 3, but on a low volume of shots (10-27). He still must extend his range and develop better consistency on his shot. If he works hard at it, there’s no reason why he can’t be a quality 3 point shooter at the next level. But it will require a lot of work as the difference between the current college and pro 3 point line is huge … His shot off the dribble is improved but still needs work. He’s better at scoring off garbage baskets and on the break than pulling up off the dribble … Not a real outgoing kid, one of those guys who leads by example. He has gained confidence and improved in this area but will need to become more vocal as his role with the team expands … Must focus more attention to the defensive end of the floor. Should gather more steals considering his length and athleticism.

Aran Smith – 11/29/2007

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