NBA Power Rankings: Kobe Bryant and The Most Clutch Player on Every Contender
There are some great clutch shooters in the NBA.
Some are just getting revved up (like Kevin Durant), others have been doing this for years (like Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant).
As we get closer to the 2011 playoffs, the clutch factor begins making a bigger difference for teams in their quest for a championship.
A player's clutch ability can single-handedly determine who stays, who goes home and who can elevate rather ordinary teams into teams that pull off extraordinary upsets.
This list recognizes the most clutch player from each team in the race for the NBA title.
Some may surprise you, some should be obvious, but when the game is on the line, these are the players I want shooting the ball for my team.
Note: All stats except for playoff averages drawn from 82games.com.
When I refer to "clutch situations," I am going by 82games.com's formula, which records stats by players in the fourth quarter or overtime, with neither team leading by more than 5 points.
As far as game-winners, 82games.com was the only site I was able to find that had comprehensive compiling of these stats. They run through Feb. 4, 2009. Thank you, 82games.com.
10. Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford
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This pick should jump out at you right away.
The general thinking is that Joe Johnson should be shooting the ball with the game on the line for the Hawks.
But I'm here to tell you that thinking is flawed, especially given the decline Johnson has experienced this season, combined with the growth Horford has exhibited.
According to 82games.com, from 2003 to Feb. 4, 2009, Johnson put up 45 shots with his team tied or down two points with 24 seconds left in the game.
He made 12 of them, a .267 shooting percentage.
Now it should be mentioned that not many players shoot well in this situation; in fact, those that do are usually superstars.
But according to 82games.com, the league-wide average was .298.
That puts Johnson below the average.
But these next stats from this season should really jump out at you.
In the fourth quarter or overtime with neither team ahead by five points, here are the stats of Horford and Johnson, per 48 minutes:
Player A) 22.8 FGA, .381 field goal percentage, 31.5 pts, 6.5 turnovers
Player B) 15.7 FGA, .667 field goal percentage, 36.6 pts, 1.7 turnovers
Wanna take a guess at who Player B is?
You guessed it, Al Horford.
Horford doesn't have the range or ability to create plays for himself that Johnson does, but when he gets the ball in his hands, he makes it happen one way or another.
9. Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose
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Although Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has shot just 39.6 percent from the field in "clutch situations," he is just getting started, and there's no one else on the Bulls roster that you could conceivably give the ball to than the rising Rose (The Rising Rose? I like the sound of that).
Also, Rose has averaged 9.4 assists per 48 minutes in clutch situations, which helps his team in a different way.
8. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki
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A lot of people look at Jason Terry too in this situation; he certainly is a better three-point shooter.
But from 2003 to Feb. 4, 2009, Terry was an average 8-for-26 (30.8 percent) when the Dallas Mavericks were tied or down by two points.
Dirk Nowitzki, on the other hand, was 12-for-37 (32.4 percent) and 3-for-6 in the playoffs.
This year, Terry and Nowitzki are neck-and-neck in terms of shooting percentage in "clutch situations." Terry is shooting 58.3 percent, slightly below Nowitzki's 60 percent.
Either way you see it, the Mavericks have two fine clutch shooters on their team.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant is still a young player and has a ways to go before he can be considered a top clutch shooter, but he's already exhibiting signs of being able to take over at crucial spots in a game.
In the 2008-2009 season, he was 3-for-8 when his team was tied or losing by two points.
New York Knicks fans know he's continued that trend since, hitting game-winners against the Knicks in the regular season in back-to-back seasons.
But he shot 35 percent in the playoffs last season, and he's going to have to improve upon that.
6. San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker
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A lot of people would say Manu Ginobili in this case, given he's an older veteran player and has consistently received more opportunities under coach Gregg Popovich with the game on the line.
But between 2003 and Feb. 4, 2009, he also shot just 6-for-21 with the Spurs tied or down by two points, including turning the ball over four times in critical situations.
Parker, on the other hand, went 6-for-16 (37.5 percent) with no turnovers.
I think it's a time for a changing of the guard, and Popovich should recognize this.
5. Orlando Magic: Hedo Turkoglu
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Hedo Turkoglu has been around the league for a long time now, and he's hit some big shots.
From 2003 to Feb. 4, 2009, Turkoglu was a whopping 8-for-16 in the regular season with his team tied or down by two points.
And it's hard to forget the three-pointer he drained against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2009 playoffs that put the Magic up 84-81, with 14 seconds left.
Dwight Howard has certainly turned into quite the superstar, but he doesn't have the ability to catch the ball and hit a game-winner from anywhere on the floor like Turkoglu does.
4. Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade
7 of 10
We all know what happened to LeBron James last year in the playoffs when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
To put it simply, he choked when the game was on the line.
Whether his heart was in it or not is debatable, but there's no question he wasn't the same player the 2010 playoffs he was in the final minutes of regular season games.
Of the two shots Dwyane Wade has taken in the playoffs with his team tied or down by two points, he's made both of them.
James is shooting 33 percent in clutch situations this season, right there with the likes of Luke Ridnour and Marc Gasol (the other Gasol).
Although James actually did excel in clutch situations before last season's playoffs, I would give the ball to Wade right now.
3. New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony
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I don't think anyone needs to worry about Carmelo Anthony losing his focus in grand New York.
From 2003 to Feb. 4, 2009, Anthony hit 13-of-27 shots with his team tied or down by two, with less than 24 seconds remaining in the game.
We remember that three-pointer he nailed with 6.5 seconds left in the 2009 playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks to put the Nuggets up by one.
He's shooting 45 percent in clutch situations this year.
And he's consistently performed well in the playoffs the last couple of seasons, averaging 27.2 points on 45.3 percent shooting in the 2009 playoffs and 30.7 points on 46.4 percent shooting in the 2010 playoffs.
Can't wait to see what 'Melo does this year with the Knicks chasing the Beasts from the East.
2. Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce
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This was a close call between Pierce and Ray Allen. I was leaning toward Allen at first, but I'd have to ultimately give the ball to Pierce, given his prowess the last two years.
Not only did he hit a step-back game-winner against the Miami Heat in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup last year, he also is able to create for himself better than his sharp-shooting teammate can.
He's shooting 47.4 percent in clutch situations this season with the Celts, compared to Allen's 41 percent.
But this was probably the closest call I had to make on this entire list.
1. Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant
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C'mon, did you really think I was going to give the top seed to anyone else?
While Paul Pierce and Ray Allen come close to Kobe in terms of rising to the occasion, there is simply no comparing anyone to Bryant when the game is on the line, even at this stage in his career.
He's not the greatest clutch shooter during the regular season, but when the playoffs come around—when it really matters—he can be nearly unstoppable.
From 2003 to Feb. 4, 2009, Kobe made 4-of-8 shots in the playoffs when his team was either tied or losing by two in the final 24 seconds.
That's the most big-time shots made in that span during the playoffs.
