Basketball Fiend

In the NBA there are only a handful of players who can be trusted at the end of games. Which makes sense. Performing in the clutch is difficult. The weight on a player’s shoulders in these situations is enormous. It’s not a job for the faint of heart.

Which is why it takes a rare player to deliver, time and again, in high-pressure situations. A clutch player; one with guts of steel, the heart of a lion and cajones so large even Sam Cassell gets jealous.

These are the members of the Fraternity of Clutch; an elite fraternity with no room for pretenders. Mobb Deep said it best. There ain’t no such thing as halfway crooks.

You’re either clutch or you’re not.

Members of the fraternity are invaluable, irreplaceable, and irresistible to fans. Ice water runs through their veins. They strike fear in the heart of opponents. Deadly, spine-chilling fear; the kind that makes you second guess every defensive switch, every double-team.

Members of the fraternity are focused. They’ll stop at nothing to win the game.

Their game face makes your game face look like William Hung.

If you’re a coach, these are the guys you diagram plays for at the end of the game before bowing your head in prayer. If you’re a GM, you’re willing to pay anything to get them on your roster. And if you’re a gambler with a taste for the NBA, these are the guys who have saved your degenerate ass time after time.

There are over 300 players in the NBA and only a handful of them can be considered clutch. Members of the Fraternity of Clutch have elite skills that most other players can only dream of.

For one, they are consistent, focused and don’t take games off, especially not in the playoffs.

Two, they have skill; the ability to create shots in traffic, get to the free throw line, and hit dagger threes. There’s a famous saying: where there’s a will there’s a way. But in the case of the clutch player, will alone is not enough. He has to have the skills to finish the play.

Three, they are basketball savvy, as cunning as a wolf. Any player can take a big shot, but the best of them are able to get the high percentage looks, not off-balance jumpers. Getting separation and finding cracks in the defense is half the battle. If a player can’t do that on a regular basis, he has no business in the Fraternity of Clutch.

When a player has mastered these three guidelines, heis  ready to turn in his pledge pin and accept a position in the fraternity. The following players have reached that level.

Without further ado, the 2008-09 Fraternity of Clutch.

President - LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)

LeBron is the ultimate clutch player. He can beat you with a seemingly unending arsenal of moves: on the drive, with the blow-by and the vicious dunk, from mid-range, where he has honed his under-pressure jumper to near ginsu-like precision, and from downtown, where you supposedly want him to be - except that this season he can beat you from there as well, shooting 42.1% from beyond the three-point line during “Clutch Time - and from the line, where he is a stone cold free throw shooter at 85% in clutch situations.

On top of that amazing arsenal, King James also has an amazing sense of the moment. Put simply, he knows exactly what to do when the game is on the line. And, unless he is having an extremely poor shooting night, he will not let his team lose. Think Jay-Z in The Takeover. I will not lose. It’s as simple as that.

When you’re the best player in the league - like LeBron is - and have otherworldy stats in the clutch - like LeBron does - closing out games isn’t so much a matter of chance as it is a matter of choice. LeBron is in a position to make that choice, night after night, which is why he’s the King of the NBA.

Give anyone a choice - in a blind test with nobody present to judge them on silly things like fandom or loyalty - LeBron or Kobe?, down by two points with a minute left in the game, and I guarantee you at least 90% of those polled will choose LeBron. He’s just that good. As a finisher, as a shooter, as a teammate. LeBron rules.

It doesn’t make sense for anyone else to be president.

Vice President, External Relations - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

Kobe Bryant is a killer. The Black Mamba. He can strike at any time, even in the most precarious of situations, and he has no fear. He’ll take any shot, anywhere, at any time. Pressure is no object. Distance is no object. Difficulty is no object. It doesn’t matter if he’s underneath the basket, at the three-point line, or at half court, if you are an opponent, you do not want Kobe taking the final shot.

In years past, Kobe was the best assassin in the game. He could cut you faster than a ninja and he wasn’t afraid to twist the knife as he pulled it out of your belly. His prowess in the clutch was unmatched, one of the main reasons the Lakers won three straight championships in the mid-00’s. He was untouchable.

This season, though? This season things have changed. Black Mamba has become something less than mythic. His shooting hand is injured. He is getting older. Some of his explosiveness is gone. He settles for more difficult shots.

In consecutive close games against the Orlando Magic this season the Lakers had an opportunity to win the game with a last second three-pointer. Phil Jackson decided to put the ball in Kobe’s hands both times and both times Kobe missed. The Lakers lost those two games - games that could ultimately have given them home court advantage in the Finals - and in those moments the epic Kobe faded a bit. The magic is still there, but now it is fallible. Upon release, a shot from Kobe in the clutch is no longer guaranteed; it is merely a good bet. Kobe is Daniel Negreanu now, not George Zimmer.

That is why Kobe is vice president of the Fraternity of Clutch and LeBron is president. Let the bashing of the Basketball Fiend begin. Bring it on, Laker Nation.

By the way, if you’re wondering why Kobe is the Vice President of EXTERNAL Relations, the reason is two-fold. 1) I wanted to split the vice presidency between Kobe and Dwyane Wade because I think both are equally dangerous in the clutch, and 2) Kobe is better-known, publicly, for being a clutch performer than other closers. When analysts discuss a late-game opportunity, LeBron and Kobe are the two names that surface most often. Wade’s name is not brought up as much. Therefore, Kobe is the external vice president.

Vice President, Internal Relations - Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)

This season Dwyane Wade been every bit the finisher that Kobe Bryant has been, but he has received less publicity for it. Don’t get me wrong. Wade is recognized by announcers, analysts, and other players, just not at the same level as LeBron and Kobe.

He’s in plenty of ads and his face is all over the place, but the NBA’s treatment of Wade is similar to that of the third wheel. The league lets him tag along with the big dogs - LeBron and Kobe - but underneath the facade of equal treatment is an underlying message: “we’d rather you shove off, you don’t have the appeal of these other guys.”

That message is understandable, but stupid. Three is a crowd, yes. But it can also one helluva good time. Just ask E from Entourage. (I’m joking. I’m joking. Calm down.)

The point is this: Wade deserves more credit for being an elite finisher.

Like Kobe, D-Wade is fearless, but he is fearless in a different way. Think Michael Jordan: The Early Years. Wade is kinetic; an object suddenly energized and put into motion. He will barrel into the lane at breakneck speeds - at his own peril - twisting and knifing his way to the basket for that all-too-familiar And 1 chance. Wade pulls this move time and again, with fantastic results. Sure, he takes his lumps for it, as a recent back injury is proof of, but it is makes him an extremely effective weapon at the end of games.

Wade is the master of getting to the line in clutch situations, a strategy that is widely reviled, but highly effective. Per 48 minutes of Clutch Time, he averages 22.3 free throw attempts, putting him third in the league in that category - just behind Carmelo Anthony and Jamal Crawford.

Besides being the master of the late-game And 1, Dwyane Wade is the only player in the league capable of going into DWDM (Dwyane Wade Destruction Mode), a state of being that only Wade can acheive. (And he has the ring to prove it.)

DWDM is amazing to watch. It’s an attack made up of a combination of on-court benchmarks, including, but not limited to: ripping the opposing team’s heart out of its chest, snapping it in half like Shooter McGavin’s nine iron at the hands of Happy’s seven-foot foreman, stomping on it with the intensity of one of the war elephants from 300, and holding it up for the viewing pleasure of the home crowd, shouting, “Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!!!”

DWDM makes for great television.

Whether it’s the Olympics, the regular season, or the playoffs, you do not want to see Wade in DWDM at the end of the game. It is bad for your health and the health of your fans. One encounter with DWDM is all it takes. You’ll never be the same again (just ask the fans in Dallas). And that is why Dwyane Wade is a vice president in the Fraternity of Clutch.

Now that we’ve covered the presidents and vice presidents, let’s move on to some of the lower positions on the fraternity totem pole.

House Manager - Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)

The house manager is a behind-the-scenes fraternity position. Unlike, say, the presidential or pledge master positions, there isn’t much notoriety or glamor to the house manager job. It is a position that is long on dirty work and short on credit - just ask my buddy Dave, who served as house manager for his fraternity for a year and couldn’t have been more miserable.

House managers are underappeciated. The have to deal with all kinds of petty issues - like who’s two-year-old leftovers are stinking up the fridge - and receive little to credit for it. Which sounds almost exactly like what Chris Paul has to endure in New Orleans, especially when it comes to late-game heroics.

Paul’s name is synonymous with assists, steals, and big numbers, but few fans know that CP3 is routinely near the top of the league in clutch stats. Last season he averaged a 38.8-10.6-6.2-2.9 in 48 minutes of Clutch Time, which is incredible; way ahead of his fellow point guards in the league.

Paul was even better in Super Clutch situations, close games with under two minutes remaining, putting up an average of 53.7 points, 11 assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.9 steals. For all of you non-stat heads out there, let me put that in layman’s terms: CP3 kills at the end of close games.

Not only is CP3 a stone-cold assassin when the game is on the line, he also has the ability to create easy late-game opporunities for his teammates. Which makes him the ultimate double-edged sword. Cover him and he’ll find someone - anyone! - for an open look. Leave him open and he’ll swish a jumper in your face. No matter the circumstances, no matter the opponent, CP3 is able to thrive.

This season Paul was even better in the clutch, putting up a 45.1-10.5-6.3-4.3 despite playing on a banged up, depleted team. Despite returning many of the same players, the Hornets were a ghost of their 2007-08 selves, evidenced by the 4-1 whupping they suffered at the hands of the Nuggets in the playoffs.

Which is all the more reason to praise Paul’s late-game abilities. He may not have had a healthy Tyson Chandler or a reliable Peja Stojakovic this season, but Paul performed well regardless. Like the best of house managers - a serious, no-nonsense bunch by nature - Paul is quiet, dutiful, and has a bit of an edge to him. Thanks to these qualities, he is the ultimate warrior, looking to rip your heart out at every possible opportunity. No wonder Lil Wayne likes him so much.

When it comes to clutch performers, there are few better than CP3.

Pledge Master - Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics)

Unless your team has a defender named LeBron, Ron-Ron, or Tayshaun, you will get ginsu-knifed by Paul Pierce’s mid-range game in the closing moments of a tight game. It’s inevitable. Pierce sets up his step-back 17-footer with expert precision. Like a caterer with table settings, a surgeon with a scapel or T-Pain with auto-tune, Pierce just goes to work and gets the job done.

And he gets the job done a lot.

Case-in-point: Game 5 of the Celtics-Bulls series. In overtime, the Celtics isolated Pierce on John Salmons on three consecutive possessions. On all three possessions Pierce went to his patented step-back jumper. And on all three possessions he scored.

Salmons knew what was coming. He’s a good defender, one who was able to get a hand in Pierce’s face each time Pierce released a shot. Yet The Truth ripped the net again and again and again. Undaunted by Salmons, fatigue or the pressure of the moment, Pierce cooly closed out the game with six points in overtime and sent the series back to Boston for a potentially decisive Game 6.

With Kevin Garnett laid up with injury and Ray Allen on the bench - Mr. Shuttleworth fouled out thanks to a questionable fourth quarter foul call - the game was in Pierce’s hands. He didn’t disappoint. He rarely does.

That’s why he’s a cabinet member in the Fraternity of Clutch.

As for the Pledge Master position, everything about Pierce strikes me as Pledge Master-ish. The confidence, the goofiness, the alpha dog swagger. His leadership is understated, but apparent in an underlying kind of way. He is effortlessly cool in his own, I-don’t-shave-because-I-don’t-have-to kind of way. He likes to be liked.

Pierce is exactly the kind of guy who would welcome and embrace the Pledge Master role. His personality is straight out of Dazed & Confused: The College Years. Think Don Dawson with a jump shot.

There may be better mentors in the fraternity, but no one else would embrace the role like Pierce would. Pledging is glorified hang-out time. I think The Truth would dig that. Can’t you see him assembling the pledge class for a late-night strip club, followed by a six o’clock wake-up call so they can wash his limited edition Hummer? Yeah, me too.

He’s Pledge Master. No doubt about it.

Director of Community Relations - Brandon Roy (Portland Trailblazers)

The idea of the Fraternity of Clutch originated with Brandon Roy. To be specific, it grew out of his unbelievable game-winning three over Ron Artest on November 6, as the Blazers beat the Rockets 110-109. That was such a brilliant shot - part luck, part skill, and part adrenaline-fueled confidence - I couldn’t help but be inspired. So Roy was the catalyst, if you will, for this column. His ascension in November to the level of the elite closers in the league - epitomized by that miraculous shot - inspired the fraternity’s first induction.

Here’s what I wrote at the time of Roy’s induction:

Roy gains entrance because he has been unstoppable in close games this season. He’ll make any shot from anywhere. Pressure doesn’t matter. Defense doesn’t matter. Time doesn’t matter. When it comes to the fourth quarter, Roy is so focused it’s scary.

In just 15 games this season, Roy has already led the Blazers to six clutch victories (clutch victories are considered games won by 5 points or less). Most recently, he spurred Portland to a 91-90 home win over the Kings with 9 points in the fourth quarter. As a Kings fan watching him eat my team alive, I was legitimately scared of what he would do next.

I wrote that in late November. Not much has changed since then. If anything, Roy’s performance in the clutch has matured as the season has progressed. Now he’s a legitimate playoff killer, averaging 27.6 points and 5 rebounds in Portland’s opening round series against Houston. With dominant performances in Games 2 and 5 against the Rockets, Roy proved that he can be counted on when his team needs him the most.

With the ball in Roy’s hands, Blazers fans can’t help but feel that they’re never out of a game. His confidence breeds confidence in others. Which is what makes the Blazers so dangerous at home. The crowd in the Rose Garden takes on Roy’s swagger at the end of games, whipping the arena into a frenzy. That in turn affects his teammates, his coaches, and the opponents. Before you know it, the court is buzzing with Roy Electricity and he’s sinking impossible shots to win the game.

It’s incredible to watch. I hope the Blazers pull off an upset in Houston tonight just so we get to see that electricity come out in Game 7. That would an unforgettable moment.

On the court Roy is a killer, but off of it he is a model citizen. In his down-time, Roy likes to spend time with his family and his teammates. He is great in the community. And he is generally regarded by the media as one of the league’s most approachable players. These traits qualify Roy as the fraternity’s community relations director. Other than LeBron or perhaps D-Wade - both of whom hold higher offices - I can think of no better player to represent the Fraternity of Clutch in public.

Social Chair - Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)

For whatever reason, players in the league just seem to love Melo. Like Chris Webber, Charles Barkley, LeBron James, and Eddie House, Anthony has this great, magnetic quality; an intangible that draws the attention of both men and women, hence his marriage to beautiful video jockey LaLa Vasquez. Melo is alpha dog-meets-I just wanna hang out with my boys. The kind of player who would make great subject matter for Entourage II: The NBA Version. He’s charismatic; able to attract and hold the interest of others.

All of which makes Anthony a great candidate for social chair.

With Melo making the party plans, you’re guaranteed to have a classy formal and some kick-ass retreats, not to mention a handful of classic house parties. You know, the ones where you get a little too drunk and run around acting like a fool, but don’t regret it the next day because you had so much fun. Yeah, those are the kind of parties I can picture Melo throwing.

What does this have to do with performing in the clutch? Not much - I’m digressing like Bill Simmons on a Vegas story - just know that Melo brings clutch ability to the table as well the previously mentioned element of magnetism.

Anthony is a terrific late-game performer. This season he had the third-best scoring average per 48 minutes of Clutch Time in the league, second only to LeBron and Kobe. Like LeBron, he has the ability to change his attack in late-game situations, depending on the circumstances. Melo’s height allows him to post up smaller forwards. His pinpoint footwork allows him to work around bigger defenders and get to the rim. And his deadly three-point shot - he shoots 58.3% from beyond the arc in the clutch - negates a defender’s ability to back off of him and cheat toward the lane.

In other words, Melo is deadly down the stretch. And he has the hardware to prove it. Remember Syracuse’s national championship in 2003? Who do you think was named MVP of that game? Yeah, that’s right. A precocious freshman named Carmelo Anthony.

Chauncey Billups may be Mr. Big Shot, but don’t be surprised if Melo’s ability to take the big shot makes him George Karl’s primary target at the end of close games in Denver’s second-round series with Dallas. Anthony may not look the part - is it me or does he always look like he’s in first gear? - but, like Paul Pierce, you can’t judge his late-game ability on looks alone. Inside, Melo has the heart of a monster. He has earned his place among the game’s elite late-game performers. And he absolutely deserves to be recognized as a cabinet member of the Fraternity of Clutch.

Treasurer - Ray Allen (Boston Celtics)

Why? Because he’s money.

Any time, any place, any shot. There’s no doubt about it, this guy has the smoothest, quickest, most daggerest three-point stroke in the league. He’s so dangerous, he ought to be illegal.

If this Celtics-Bulls series has shown us anything, it’s this: leave Ray Allen open and you pay the price. It’s as simple as that. The guy is about as bankable as they come. As treasurer, he’s a perfect fit for the fraternity.

The following players are active members of the Fraternity of Clutch, but, for whatever reason, do not hold cabinet positions. They are elite clutch performers, but they are not the elite of the elite.

Fraternity Brothers:

• Tony Parker
• Mo Williams
• Ben Gordon
• Jason “Jet’ Terry
• Joe Johnson
• Pau Gasol
• Deron Williams
• Chauncey Billups

Soon, a group of young players will rise to the challenge of The Clutch and establish themselves as elite late-game performers. These players are fraternity members in training. Or, simply, pledges. They are mentored by the greats, tutored by those in the upper echelon of the fraternity, and tormented by their pledge master: the rascally Paul Pierce.

The 2008-09 Fraternity of Clutch pledge class looks like this:

• Derrick Rose
• Kevin Durant
• Andre Iguodala
• Nate Robinson
• Danny Granger
• Devin Harris
• Charlie Villaneuva
• O.J. Mayo
• Aaron Brooks
• Roger Mason, Jr.
• J.R. Smith

15 Responses to “The Fraternity of Clutch (2008-09)”

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.