McCarron: 'Clark will make us better'

Adelaide 36ers captain Mitch McCarron can’t wait to welcome new backcourt partner Ian Clark this week and is excited about the prospect the 2017 NBA champion brings to the roster.

Clark, 31, was signed on Tuesday for the rest of the NBL23 season and McCarron said the NBL champion is a great fit for the 36ers.

“We had a chat about it as a group, so now it’s official it’s exciting,” McCarron said on Wednesday.

“The role he played for Sydney last year was great, he looks like he’s going to be a veteran and a good leader for us and brings us that experience, so we’re excited.

“He’s a tough cover because I think he is a smart player and he knows when to pick his moments.

“He can be an aggressive scorer but at the same time he can be a facilitator, he might play a slightly different role for us than what he did in Sydney but at the same time his IQ is going to help us.”

With the addition of Clark to the roster, McCarron said he is willing to sacrifice his on playing time if that meant the team was going to succeed.

“If he is playing well, I’m happy to sit as much as I need to, but we will figure out a rotation that works for us,” McCarron said.

“Whoever is playing well should stay on the floor.

“The players need to back that and support that and with Ian coming in that’s my mentality, if he’s playing some minutes at the point guard and he’s killing it, then keep going.”

Clark could suit up as soon as Saturday night’s Christmas Eve blockbuster against South East Melbourne Phoenix at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

“That’s up to CJ and the coaching stuff, but he’s a competitive guy so he will be ready to go,” McCarron said.

”Our group is starting to hopefully roll on and stack some wins together but for us it’s all about getting him (Clark) adjusted and making sure we get what we want for him as well and hopefully we can put a win streak together.”

McCarron said the side is taking a lot of confidence into Saturday night’s game after two home victories last round against Brisbane Bullets and Tasmania JackJumpers.

“We are playing a bit better and we are upping the intensity on defense which is certainly what we were lacking in previous rounds,” McCarron said.

“We just want to keep that consistency, if we can rely on our defense to get stops that would be good.”