Clutch, Closers, and Kleptomaniacs

One of the most valued characteristics of modern sports is the clutch ability. Can he hit the game winning 3, lead the 2 minute drive, get 3 outs in the bottom of the 9^th? We as fans ask a ludicrous consistency from our players, expecting Peyton Manning to always lead the Colts down the field, telling our friends “Ray Allen always makes this shot,” when in reality they don’t. The NBA Playoffs have been a microcosm study of our fascination with closers in sports and has led to a humanizing of our favorite players, our heroes. Even if we don’t want to admit it.

Let’s define the difference between being clutch and what a closer is in NBA terms. Being clutch is the ability to hit the game winning shot when the team has the last possession to win or tie the game. A closer is defined by the player that the offense runs through in the last 5 minutes of a game. For example, even though Derek Fischer is the point guard for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant begins running the plays in big games with five minutes left. Speaking of which, wasn’t Kobe Bryant “the man” when it came to being clutch and a closer, not this year. Most of the time, closers are seen as an offensive threat but the defensive capabilities of a team and the closer on that team should be considered as well. The Lakers were leading by seven points with five minutes left in both Games 1 and 3 against the Mavericks but they lost both games. They ceased to play defense and those fade away jumpers that Kobe used to always swish through the net, started hitting the rim. Most will point to the Lakers’ porous defense for their playoff debauchery but Kobe did miss that three in Game 1 and he did become ineffective as the Laker closer in Games 2 and 3. This shouldn’t be a surprise though, examine the Lakers’ last regular season game and watch Kobe Bryant miss shot after shot with five minutes left in the 4^th quarter but then switch into classic Kobe by nailing the game tying shot in a fall away manner. Eventually the shots stop falling for the closers in the NBA and instead of reasoning to realistic causes like age, stellar defense by the opposing team, or even a poor call, they are thrown asunder. However, for 25 other teams in the NBA, they want Kobe on their team taking that shot every time.

As much as people tout Kobe Bryant as Mr. Clutch, he also holds the record for most missed game winning shots. Before the Lakers won their last two championships, Bryant was tied for most game winning shots in the playoffs (4 for 8 before 2009 Playoffs) by the man who is being criticized for his late game heroics: Lebron James. Before Game 5 of the Celtics-Heat series, Lebron has been atrocious at clutching a victory as a member of the Miami Heat. Some will tell you that the last play usually comes down to the closer of the team creating his own shot and winning the game. Part of that is true, but how often do teams with the last shot come out of a time out before their last possession.  I would argue at least 75% of the time. It would then make sense for that team to have some sort of play to execute for the last possession, even if it is creating separation between the defense and the closer. Yet, the Miami Heat have been a work in progress all year, every part of their game has struggled, so when they stumble in executing the final play of the game, why would it not be expected for them to falter in that area of play? Don’t get me wrong, Lebron James should be partly blamed for his late game woes but let’s not solely blame him for his team’s late game tribulations.

That being said, when he finally produced in Game 5 against the Celtics scoring 10 points by himself, he shouldn’t have acted as if he had won the Olympics all over again by kneeling on the ground, overcome by emotion. Give America a break. The Heat are merely halfway through winning the championship and after defeating the team that hasn’t won the championship the past two years, yet they act like their high school girlfriends finally gave up their v-card. Forget about the Chicago Bulls looming around the corner whose matchups are terrible for the Heat (Chicago’s Rose and Noah are far superior than Miami’s Bibby and Anthony. Carlos Boozer vs. Chris Bosh is a toss-up depending on who feels like playing that night) or that they still have to make the freaking NBA Finals.

The Russel Westbrook-Kevin Durant argument that has been constructed within the playoffs particularly against the Grizzlies shouldn’t be an argument. Russell Westbrook has a better matchup than Kevin Durant but if my point has somehow been lost here it is: give your best player the freaking ball. Stats become meaningless within the last shot of the game, if they meant something, Greivis Vasquez (whose first name clearly doesn’t know the rule I before E except after C) should take the final shot for the Memphis Grizzlies. No matter if they are on a cold streak or are finally showing their age, they are still your best player. Let’s all stop being such kleptomaniacs. Everyone knows who the best player is on their respective team and who they want shooting in the final possession; just as everyone outside of the Miami Heat and their fans knows their win was miniscule if they fail hereafter. Then again, maybe I’m the klepto because I care about sports this much.