Fluky things start having a greater weight when we’re dealing with less than two full games worth of playing time, as is the case here.īut hey, it’s still ridiculously fun to look at. It should be noted, though, that as we slice the game down to smaller and smaller increments, we’re getting less and less meaningful. That runs counter to what we saw in the previous analysis with looser constraints. This time, Durant has recorded the higher PER while James boasts the higher shooting percentage. As the game creeps into the final minute, we see that James and Durant have undergone a bit of a role switch. (Note: average field goal percentage - 36.1 percent)Īh, the tables have turned. Situation: final minute, game within three points. So what happens if we zoom in closer? Let’s take a look at how the two players do when the stakes are higher. If you’re wondering why James has posted a far superior plus/minus than Durant this season in standard clutch time, look no further than the MVP’s ability to hit the open man. Despite playing in 45 fewer minutes than Durant in clutch situations, James has 23 assists to Durant’s measly six. And somehow, this team-first mentality has been twisted to become one of James’ greatest perceived flaws. What separates James from Durant and the rest of the league is his uncanny ability to find the open man under pressure. James bests Durant in the rebounding and assist categories while Durant takes the cake in the points and turnover department. Overall, James has registered a higher player efficiency rating (PER), which bottles up all the box-score stats into one trusty figure. In clutch situations, Durant beats James in shooting percentages by only a sliver (in fact, James was better from downtown). Though Durant had an epic Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, he hasn’t been electric all season long. Surprised? Perception often doesn’t mirror reality. (Note: average field goal percentage - 41.0 percent) Situation: final five minutes, game within five points. How have James and Durant fared in standard clutch time this season? Believe it or not, they’re neck-and-neck. As defined by their numbers gurus, the league has defined a clutch situation as when the score is within five points in the final five minutes of regulation. Thankfully, the smart folks at NBA.com have provided a handy standard. What is a clutch situation and what is not? This is always the tricky part about assessing clutch performance. Don’t believe it? Let’s look at the facts.įirst, we must establish some sort of baseline. The truth is that when we look at their respective track records, Durant and James couldn’t be closer when it comes to clutch performance. Deriving any sort of conclusion about a player’s true ability to make big plays down the stretch is a dicey endeavor as it is, but zooming in on such a microscopic sample makes it virtually useless. For example, that “one” in the 1-of-31 statistic? That would be Glen Davis, not exactly known for ice in his veins. Of course, fluky things can happen when we’re dealing with sample sizes of four shots. The rest of the league in those mega-clutch situations? A pathetic 1-of-31.Ĭlutch god, indeed. In game-tying or go-ahead situations with less than 24 seconds in the fourth quarter or overtime, Durant has shot 3-of-4 this postseason. This postseason, we’re seeing why the players have shown so much confidence in Durant’s shot-making ability even though he’s just 23 years old. James? Not one player picked the player who had entered last season winning back-to-back MVPs. But the runner-up in that poll? The players themselves chose Durant. The results? 74 percent chose Kobe Bryant. In 2011, a Sports Illustrated poll asked 168 players to pick who they’d want to shoot the ball with the game on the line. Well, we know who the players might choose. In the other, the league’s Most Valuable Player. So, game on the line, who do you want with the ball? In one corner, we have the NBA’s leading scorer. We’ve been lucky enough to have a close game about every other game this postseason, so make sure you buckle in as the Thunder and Heat battle for the championship. The audience is itching to be treated with a crunch-time classic. Durant and James are set to clash in the NBA Finals, a duel between two superstars who couldn’t be further apart on the spectrum of perceived clutchness. Or at least that’s what conventional wisdom says. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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