Being clutch in the NBA leads to an incredible amount of success. Sure, teams would prefer to end games by the 3rd quarter or even earlier and cruise to a win where the starters get to relax in the last 5 minutes and have their head coach clear the bench. But that’s no fun, now is it?
Advertisement
The NBA is a product that thrives off of the fast-paced nature of its offense. The fact that a team leading by 10 points with 2 minutes remaining can lose that game oh-so effortlessly is what makes games in the league so entertaining. The best way to make these games entertaining is to have last-minute heroics.
In this day and age of the NBA where everything runs off of shots at either the basket or from beyond the arc, there’s one man who is not only dominating in the clutch, but is shooting from the ‘forbidden areas’ out on NBA hardwood: DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar DeRozan and his clutch factor
It’s no surprise that DeMar DeRozan was chosen to be the man to head the latest Nike Kobe shoe drops. He plays like him and is just as clutch as him as well. The Chicago Bulls superstar has been leading the league in clutch points this season as he currently sits on 113 clutch points.
He’s also shooting 49.3% from the field. Out of all the shots he’s made from the field, merely 1 has been a three-pointer. His shot chart shows us that the mid-range is where he thrives both during regular game time and in the clutch.
Another aspect of his game in the clutch has been his ability to draw fouls. He’s shot 42-45 from the charity stripe. So, even though De’Aaron Fox, who is second in clutch points with 108 has been shooting a whopping 60% from the field while going 44-73, DeRozan’s foul-baiting techniques put him over the edge.
Notable superstars in the clutch
LeBron James is 10th in the league in total clutch points scored with 73. The Lakers have gone 11-11 in those games that he’s played. Stephen Curry has scored 66 clutch points while Damian Lillard has scored 63 with only a difference of 2 games played.
Jordan Clarkson has played the most games in the clutch this season with 30 such bouts and his scoring reflects this as he’s dropped 97 points during those periods. Two players who have surprised everybody are Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexandar, both of whom are top 5 in the NBA in clutch points scored.
