Kevin Durant is a ‘clutch god’
March 5, 2015
Now, let’s just imagine here. Your team is down by one and there is 1.5 seconds left on the clock. This final shot will be the last shot of the 2015 NBA finals. You, as a coach, call a timeout to give your team some last second advice. Now, skim over your team. Who would you want to see take the last second shot that would determine if your team becomes the national champions.
You see a line of superstars on your roster that you would only see in the NBA All-Star game. A line of pros that are the best that have stepped on the court. Some that have won multiple MVP awards and some who are privileged enough to win more than one championship.
You see Kobe Bryant, known as “Mr. Clutch.” An older guard that still excels past all his fellow teammates, when he is healthy. You see LeBron James. A fantastic forward that didn’t even have to go to college. You see James Harden, a great guard that can trip up the best of defenders. You see Steph Curry. Half of the Splash Brothers that is probably the best deadeye that has ever stood behind the ark.
And then your eyes land on Kevin Durant. A 6’ 9’’ forward straight out of Texas. And then you know. Out of all these basketball greats, you know you would want the amazing KD to take that last step back jumper. The last three. The last eurostep layup to get the W.
“Kevin Durant is a clutch god,” ESPN writer Tom Haberstroh said.
If there is one word that can describe Durant’s entire basketball career, it would be clutch. His entire attitude and body language just shifts when the expedition is coming to an end. He just focuses at the problems at hand and does not let the opposing crowd affect him in any way.
As the game is coming to a close, Durant’s field goal percentage jumps up to 44.9, while James’s is slightly lower at 42.9. The difference is only two percent, but that two percent can make or break a game. In the do or die situations at the end of games, Durant’s free throw percentage is 100 percent according to Haberstroh. This is a key thing to have go automatically. Teams tend to foul at the end of close games, and if you have a player that can just make free throws without thinking about it, you are golden. As we all know from a few nights ago, LeBron cannot do that.
So, which player would you chose? Which player would you trust with the last shot that could win you the Larry O’Brien trophy?