Basketball Fiend

Posts Tagged ‘NBA Basketball’

After 5,600 words and a near transformation into Axl Rose circa 2006, the 2009 version of NBA Hell is done. Many teams were considered for the position, but ultimately I chose the Memphis Grizzlies as the worst NBA Hell team (a.k.a. the team that brings the most pain and suffering to its fans).

It is a choice that went over in Memphis about as well as Elvis’ death.

Which goes to show you that A) there are Grizzlies fans in Memphis after all (who knew?), and B) writing a 5,600 article about the worst teams in the league isn’t going to win you any popularity contests (not that I care).

In the end, though, Basketball Fiend is a blog of the people, for the people, by the…well, me (hold on a second, I’m getting away from my point) and I think you, the readers, should have a chance to decide who represents you as the ultimate NBA Hell Team.

So I’ve set up this poll.

It’s a nine-team poll that will run until Sunday night. You can vote as many times as WordPress allows you to and, at the end of the weekend, we’ll see which team is the NBA Hell Team of the People. (After all, I’m nothing if not democratic.)

Just so you know, your vote won’t change my mind. Personally, I’m entrenched. But it may shed some light on the subject for other fans who are more likely to be swayed.

Grizzlies fans, start your engines.

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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.

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