The best clutch player, ever

[Harison]

Your team down by 2 in the Finals Game 7, game ends in 10 secs. You can pick any player in prime, who do you choose and why?

My personal preference:
1. Bird - 2 or 3 points - if you need, he will drain it, at high FG%. Nobody could stop him, like against the Bulls, everyone and their mothers knew Bird will take the last shot, arguably two GOAT perimeter defenders - Pippen and Jordan were all over him, couldnt do anything: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoGmMx8Ejrw&feature=related

Or against Bullets - what do you do when you down by 3 at the end of the game? Drain 3PT. Down by 3 points at the end of 1OT? Sink another 3PT. Down by two in 2OT? Drain 3PT, of course :oldlol: The only Tripple clutch that I know of. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK0uS-Iv7jk

Pat Riley said: "If I had to choose a player to take a final shot to win a game I'd choose Jordan, but if I could pick one to shoot to save my life I would pick Bird."

More - over 20 clutch moments in one video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3lAuohZvnE

Even more: http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=191459

2. Jordan - another cold blooded assassin in the clutch. Kerr told once how he asked Phil whom he wants to make the last shot, Phil looked with disgust in his eyes and said: "Just give the ball to Jordan and get out of his way" :oldlol:

Jordan's Top10 clutch moments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrhC4ma4zjM

Another great video, Michael Jordan - Ultimate Clutch Mindset: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYMd6QeE5DA

3. Bill Russell - supremely clutch player, regardless how he gets wins - he always managed to get it done. Defense, assists or even scoring - whatever it takes. Did you know he had 10 series which lasted to 7 games, never lost decisive match? Thats 10-0, and 11 rings to prove his point. Russells 30 points 40 rebounds is one of the best Finals Game7 performances, ever.

Jerry West said: “If I had a choice of any basketball player in the league, my No.1 choice has to be Bill Russell. Bill Russell never ceases to amaze me.”

[evilmonkey]

1. Reggie Miller
2. Michael Jordan
3. Larry Bird

For 18 years in Indiana, Reggie would always hit some kindof clutch shot every single game, Reggie has been the most productive in the clutch in NBA history, Jordan & Bird are close but they are ranked higher in that department in manys eyes simply because of their legacy.

[ashbelly]

I know people like larry bird, but i'll take jordan in the clutch. I'll know i have the ball in safe hands. dude was unbelievable in the clutch.

[j3lademaster]

I'd want Derek Fisher to take the last shot, but I'd want MJ to make the last play.

[Nelson14]

bird
miller
jordan

are all great choices for all time.

currently?
it's gotta be kobe

[Lebron23]

Michael Jordan

[CJ Mustard]

1. Bird
2. Kobe
3. Jordan
4. Reggie
5. Ray Allen

[Ghettobird]

1. Bird
2. Kobe
3. Jordan
4. Reggie
5. Ray Allen


i like that avey

[Yung D-Will]

1. Bird
2. Kobe
3. Jordan
4. Reggie
5. Ray Allen

Give the clutch big men some love

[asdf1990]

The guy that made a defensive stop and a game winner for a ring

[StacksOnDeck]

The one with the most game winners.

[PurpleChuck]

1) Jordan/Bird
2) Kobe

3) Reggie/Ray/Melo


4) The rest

[Dwade305]

Duncan in his prime gives you the best chance

[SinJackal]

http://adventoutpost.com/wp-content/uploads/37931867.jpg

[Replay32]

Michael Jeffrey Jordan!!!! It really needs no explanation.

[LA KB24]

http://adventoutpost.com/wp-content/uploads/37931867.jpg
Yes. Give me this guy any day of the week.

[Kurosawa0]

Robert Horry

[Rekindled]

bird
jordan
reggie
horry
kobe

[DirkNowitzki41]

MJ/Reggie
Bird

[jlauber]

Your team down by 2 in the Finals Game 7, game ends in 10 secs. You can pick any player in prime, who do you choose and why?



Given the above scenario, and assuming we have the ball, I would take:

1. MJ
2. Kobe
3. Bird
4. Magic
5. Horry

Now, if we didn't have the ball, and we needed a DEFENSIVE STOP, AND the REBOUND:

1. Russell
2. Wilt
3. Duncan
4. Robinson
5. Hakeem

[Raziball]

Gimme Kareem.... The surest 2 points.. ever:pimp:

[Horatio33]

no Jerry West or Sam Jones?

[TheLogo]

http://www.sportskeeda.com/wp-content/uploads/KobeBryant.jpg

[AK47DR91]

http://adventoutpost.com/wp-content/uploads/37931867.jpg

:bowdown: He's the greatest!

[SinJackal]

We should make an "all clutch team".


PG: (thoughts here people? Isiah?)
SG: Jordan
SF: Bird
PF: Duncan
C: Hakeem (Maybe Russel or Kareem?)

[G-Funk]

Class A: These guys clutch it with the ball in their hands.
....yes....Just Amazing!

Jordan-Kobe

Class B: Catch & Shoot, It's in!!!!

Miller-Horry-Fisher

Class C: Defensively

Russell


Honorary Mentions:

Bird-West-Magic-Kareem-Duncan

[Harison]

We should make an "all clutch team".


PG: (thoughts here people? Isiah?)
SG: Jordan
SF: Bird
PF: Duncan
C: Hakeem (Maybe Russel or Kareem?)

PG: Stockton, or we could just make PG from Jerry West :D
SG: Jordan
SF: Bird
PF: Hakeem (I know... but Dream is better as PF than TD :oldlol:)
C: Russel

[jbot]

not sure about overall player but best clutch shooter would definitely be reggie miller.

[inclinerator]

lebron james
tim duncan

[EmilDrillz]

Big Shot Rob

[OldSchoolBBall]

Jordan and Bird are in a tier of their own imo. Both proved they could make any type of clutch play, be it a shot, assist, rebound, or steal. I'd give the nod to Jordan though because he was more clutch defensively than Bird (largely due to ability) and could handle more defensive pressure and still get a good look or make a good play.

After those 2, you have West/Kobe/Miller/Magic in some order. I'm inclined to go West/Kobe/Miller/Magic, with the caveat that Magic's clutchness is more difficult to quantify than the others' due to his role.

[jlip]

In the years that I played with the Celtics, in terms of total basketball skills, Sam Jones was the most skillful player that I ever played with. At one point, we won a total of eight consecutive NBA championships, [B]and six times during that run we asked Sam to take the shot that meant the season. If he didn

[Zan Tabak]

Robert Horry
The answer is Jordan. But RH is a good answer aswell.

[Big#50]

Duncan
Shaq
Bird
Jordan
Hakeem
Russell
These guys will play good in any clutch situation. These are the only players I know that will always produce when you need them to.

[jlauber]

We should make an "all clutch team".


PG: (thoughts here people? Isiah?)
SG: Jordan
SF: Bird
PF: Duncan
C: Hakeem (Maybe Russel or Kareem?)

If we are talking about "clutch" for ENTIRE game seven's, while Chamberlain's TEAM's went 4-5 in them, he averaged 24.4 ppg, 26.3 rpg, and he shot an eye-popping .626 in them (which is, I believe, the highest game seven percentage ever posted cumulitively by "great" players.) And, in game five of a best-of-five series in the '62 playoffs, he put up a 56-35 game. He also had several outstanding "elimination game" games, as well, including a 50-35 game five against Russell in the '60 ECF's. Perhaps his greatest game seven was in the '65 ECF's, when he guided his 40-40 Sixers to a 110-109 loss against the 62-18 Celtics. He scored six of the last eight points scored in that game (including 2-2 from the FT line, and a thunderous dunk over Russell with five secs left)...and his stat line was 30 points on 12-15 shooting, with 32 rebounds (Russell played well in that game, as well, with 15 points, on 7-16 shooting, with 29 rebounds.)

Jerry West was also sensational in game seven's. In fact, he won the Finals MVP on a losing team (the ONLY player to have ever done so), with a game seven stat line of 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists.

[Yung D-Will]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/06/12/sports/23lakers.xlarge1.jpg

[Yung D-Will]

I gotta go with Bird/Jordan

[Calabis]

I'll take the guy who did it numerous times from 18-35

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/PHO/AAFS036_16X20.jpg

http://www.slamonline.com/online/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/jordan-last-shot.jpg


I'll take this guy right after him

http://d7.img.v4.skyrock.net/d7a/calum491/pics/273817265_small.jpg

[jstern]

http://adventoutpost.com/wp-content/uploads/37931867.jpg
Him, then Bird. After that I don't know. Kobe has made a lot, but he has miss a lot more, horrible percentage. The air balls too.

[raptorfan_dr07]

Class A: These guys clutch it with the ball in their hands.
....yes....Just Amazing!

Jordan-Kobe

Class B: Catch & Shoot, It's in!!!!

Miller-Horry-Fisher

Class C: Defensively

Russell


Honorary Mentions:

Bird-West-Magic-Kareem-Duncan

The bolded names need to switch places because the top one doesn't belong, thank you.

Anyways, it's a toss up between Bird and Jordan if I needed a game winning shot. If I needed a game winning play?(ex: Steal, rebound, blocked shot, etc) Give me Russell.

[OrlandoAnderson]

Paul Pierce says hi to all


http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/04/29/paul.pierce/paul-pierce-is.jpg

[pegasus]

1- Jordan/Bird
2- Kobe
3- Reggie

4- Ray
5- Duncan/Ginobili

[InspiredLebowski]

I don't care about rankings (mostly because Reggie's not #1), but when you think about HOW Reggie got his shots it's pretty incredible that he was still so successful at it. Basically a completely one dimensional player whose reputation preceded him and he'd STILL run off the opposite wing down the baseline through some bonecrushing screens and hit the shot. A MUCH larger percentage of the credit from Reggie's clutch shots should go to guys like Dale and Antonio Davis for just destroying his defenders...usually legally. And you can't forget the often perfect inbounds pass from Derrick McKey. The inbounds pass in last second situations is a skill that people never even seem to consider but McKey was friggin perfect at it.

[d.bball.guy]

Paul Pierce says hi to all


http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/04/29/paul.pierce/paul-pierce-is.jpg
Paul Pierce gets ignored.

[blondie]

1. Manu Ginobili
2. Derek Fisher
3. Robert Horry

[d.bball.guy]

1. Manu Ginobili
2. Derek Fisher
3. Robert Horry
Stop!:hammerhead:

[madmax]

Give me Lebron with 5 minutes to go in a 4th quarter..as for the last shot - Larry Bird has no competition here:cheers:

[OrlandoAnderson]

Give me Lebron with 5 minutes to go in a 4th quarter..as for the last shot - Larry Bird has no competition here:cheers:


no

[nbastatus]

I would take Ray Allen.

[PurpleChuck]

Paul Pierce says hi to all


http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/04/29/paul.pierce/paul-pierce-is.jpg


Paul Pierce gets ignored.
:lol :oldlol: :roll: :cheers: :banana: :D :applause: :rockon:

[G.O.A.T]

How can anyone have Ray Allen on an all-time clutch list. Did no one watch him go 0-13 in the Game Three of the NBA Finals of 3-14 in game seven?

I haven't seen Sam Jones mentioned, he's probably in the top 10 all-time.

I'd also include Havlicek, James Worthy, Vinnie Johnson in the conversation though not for #1.

[Flamboyant]

^ and? Those are game stats, not clutch. I don't think that if those games came down to wire, Rivers would have drew the play for Rondo instead of Allen, no matter who was having a better game. Ray Ray may have had some bad games in these finals, but he has proven himself in the clutch way too many times, for me to doubt his abilities.

----

Anyway, this thread really went the clutchest player ever way, but OP said "Your team down by 2..."

Unless the momentum is completely on my side, or the opponent team has serious foul trouble/ejections, I'm going for the win, and that means I need a 3 pointer. In that case MJ/Bird won't be in my top10, and all the big men get ignored. The guy I'd want to take the shot would be Reggie Miller. He was money in these situations.

[SuperCoolBeeeez]

Kobe def has to be up there. One of the few guys that puts up a shot with time expiring and you know its going in. Last year against the heat when he pulled off that insane fading bankshot 3 over D. Wade for example.

[PHILA]

no Jerry West or Sam Jones?

Anchorage Daily News - Jan 9, 1982 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wkEdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XacEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1722,2913007&dq)

Q: Give us your all-clutch team, the guys who wanted the ball for that last shot.

A: Sam Jones. Jerry West had the reputation of being a clutch shooter, but I don't think he wanted the ball as much as everyone wanted him to have it. He didn't beg for the last shot. Sam Jones wanted it. The man had ice in his veins. I've never seen a guy shoot the big ones like him.

[G.O.A.T]

^ and? Those are game stats, not clutch. I don't think that if those games came down to wire, Rivers would have drew the play for Rondo instead of Allen, no matter who was having a better game. Ray Ray may have had some bad games in these finals, but he has proven himself in the clutch way too many times, for me to doubt his abilities.

Part of being clutch is getting your team into those situations. And almost all of Allens clutch shots were off some one else penetration or screen. Regardless, he went 0-13 in an NBA Finals game, that's the opposite of clutch. It's not knocking Ray Allen, but he gets seriously overrated by some people.


Unless the momentum is completely on my side, or the opponent team has serious foul trouble/ejections, I'm going for the win, and that means I need a 3 pointer. In that case MJ/Bird won't be in my top10.

You need a three and Bird's not on your list?

That's maybe the strangest logic I've ever heard. He should be at the top of your list.

[rivas]

Jordan
Kobe
Bird

no specific order.

[Flamboyant]

Part of being clutch is getting your team into those situations. And almost all of Allens clutch shots were off some one else penetration or screen. Regardless, he went 0-13 in an NBA Finals game, that's the opposite of clutch. It's not knocking Ray Allen, but he gets seriously overrated by some people.

I'm not denying that it was a poor performance by Ray (especially after the fantastic Game 2). But every superstar has had his share of bad games. Kobe went 6-24 in game 7, MJ had a game where he shot 3-16 when his team was down 0-2, LeBron has had a game where he missed 13 straight field goals himself. I'm not saying these games set good examples, but sh*t happens. And while 0-13 is really pushing the limit, you have to keep in mind that it's much more reasonable for a guy like Allen that always takes long jumpers, than for a guy that creates (and/or picks) his own shot.


You need a three and Bird's not on your list?

That's maybe the strangest logic I've ever heard. He should be at the top of your list.

Bird was a really good 3pt shooter, but to be honest he wasn't exactly known for constantly bombing from the distance. He usually shot the 3 only when he had good looks. Obviously I won't complain if Bird was taking the shot, but from Miller, to Allen, to Horry, to Arenas, to Carter, I can think of a lot of players I've seen make huge 3 pointers in clutch situations much more than Bird. I intentionally mentioned Arenas, and Carter, because I don't get why it is so hard for some people to give credit to guys like them, even though they have delivered a lot in these situations. I get that these guys are not in the same level as players, and were never in these positions in huge games (like an NBA Finals game), but at the end of the day: Yeah, they are better 3pt shooters.
Again even though I'd take some players over him, I won't complain if Bird was taking the shot. Not even a bit. There is no denying that he was mad clutch.

[Harison]

Part of being clutch is getting your team into those situations. And almost all of Allens clutch shots were off some one else penetration or screen. Regardless, he went 0-13 in an NBA Finals game, that's the opposite of clutch. It's not knocking Ray Allen, but he gets seriously overrated by some people.
While I dont have Ray in my Top5 All-time clutch list, but he is definitely among the most clutch players in the current generation. Yes he had some bad games in the Finals or Playoff in general (as almost any player do), but when we judge players abilities, we look at a bigger data sample than few games. Biggest stage matters the most? Fair enough, then we have to remember '08 Finals, Ray was incredible.



You need a three and Bird's not on your list?

That's maybe the strangest logic I've ever heard. He should be at the top of your list.
Agreed on this, I would rather have Bird making last shot than Reggie. Both are incredible in the clutch, but how many memorable shots Reggie made not against Knicks? Bird delivered in more occasions. Plus while both are great at catch and shoot, but what happens when defender is near Miller? He has a hard time since he cant make his own play outside of catch and shoot, while Bird can easily make it happen anyway. Case and point - both Pippen and Jordan were all over Bird, and couldnt do anything to prevent him from scoring in the last seconds of the game, and thats arguably two GOAT perimeter defenders.

[magnax1]

Jordan, Bird, Miller, Stockton, Russell, Kobe, West, and Kareem are the ones that come to mind. It's difficult for me to chose from them.

[catch24]

Jordan and Bird were about equal IMO. I consider them first tiers while Kobe, Miller, etc would be just a notch below.

[Jasper]

Trust me when I say Ray Allen does NOT belong in this conversation.
IMO shooters and only shooters have to be taken out of this equation :
Example Kobe - how many times have you seen him pass up the shot ?
The only way Fisher or Horry ever got the shot was if it accidently got to them and it was not thru Kobe.

I've got some years on most of you but the criteria is making the play and the shot , and if that means doing one or the other or both these players have the cred :

Jordan
Bird
Kareem
Hondo
B. King
Majic
Zeke
Clyde Frazier
West
Wilt

[no pun intended]

How about Mister Clutch? Jerry West? How clutch was he really? I never watched him play before much.

[jlip]

How can anyone have Ray Allen on an all-time clutch list. Did no one watch him go 0-13 in the Game Three of the NBA Finals of 3-14 in game seven?

I haven't seen Sam Jones mentioned, he's probably in the top 10 all-time.

I'd also include Havlicek, James Worthy, Vinnie Johnson in the conversation though not for #1.


I posted the following earlier:

[I]"In the years that I played with the Celtics, in terms of total basketball skills, Sam Jones was the most skillful player that I ever played with. At one point, we won a total of eight consecutive NBA championships, [B]and six times during that run we asked Sam to take the shot that meant the season. If he didn

[G.O.A.T]

How about Mister Clutch? Jerry West? How clutch was he really? I never watched him play before much.

He is the only player to win Finals MVP for a losing team.

He hit a 60-footer at the buzzer to send a Finals game into overtime in 1970.

Averaged over 46 ppg vs Baltimore in Division Finals in 1965.

He made a steal and took it for a lay-up to beat the buzzer and win game three vs. Boston in the 1962 NBA Finals.

Averaged over 34 ppg in 1965 and 1966 NBA Finals and had five forty point games.

[Nash-tastic]

1. Michael Jordan
2. Larry Bird
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Reggie Miller

5. Steve Nash