HE won NBL Sixth Man of the Year honours as reward for his selflessness last season, and Illawarra guard Ronei Clarke believes the Hawks new imports Delvon Johnson and Dimitrius Conger possess the same quality in spades.
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It’s an essential quality within coach Rob Beveridge’s system with Clarke the shining example having proved a game-winner after making a shift to the bench last season.
It’s also why Clarke had no hesitation in endorsing his former University of Arkansas teammate when he appeared on Beveridge’s scouting list
“I think he’ll bring a tonne of things, I think I already has,” Clarke said.
“I knew him as a person off the floor first and foremost. He’s a great guy, he’s got great character, he works hard and he’s a great teammate.
“Talking to the coaches when they were recruiting him I knew immediately that he’d fit in with this group of guys. On the court he does a lot of things for us.
“He can alter shots, block shots, he’s good defensively, he can rebound and he can finish at the rim. He’s got a really high basketball IQ to, so you can throw him in there and he knows all the plays.”
Clarke also came across St Bonaventure alumn Conger in college and is confident he can also buy-in to the Hawks team-first mentality.
“I think he brings exactly what we need, he defends extremely well, he’s athletic he can run, he can shoot, he’s the ultimate professional,” Clarke said.
“I played against him in college and you get the sense he’s very unselfish guy and is willing to do whatever he has to do to help the team.”