Originally Posted by
LuketheJediKnight
Originally Posted by
5am6oody72
Originally Posted by LuketheJediKnight
The point is that this is all bunk. Players will perform to their usual levels in any given situation
There are some players that let the moment get to them and start pressing. Others aren't fazed and play like it's any other moment, and others seem to elevate their play another notch. If players perform to their usual level in any given situation, how do you explain players like A-Rod who for years hit much worse in the postseason? Or guys whose batting average dips with runners in scoring position? Different players have completely different mental makeups/attitudes; you can't assume that because a player shoots 45% for their career that they will also shoot that percentage in the clutch. They might, but if they are one of those players who get nervous and starts pressing they might shoot 30%.
Someone wasn't reading what I said about the importance of sample size earlier.
When you take many seasons of "clutch statistics", you see that players pretty much perform to the mean over time. So while the psychological factor of the clutch might be present, the highly-trained athlete who has spent a lifetime honing his craft can overcome this factor. The issue however is that a player takes a mere handful of those shots "in the clutch" compared to the thousands of shots they take during a season. When he makes them, you and I as a fan naturally get excited and attribute it to some "special" ability to play better in a particular moment. Perception bias also takes effect (thanks to SportsCenter playing those crazy turnaround shots a billion times) and you don't remember that the same player has missed that same shot in other games more times than he has made them; see Kobe's "clutch" numbers by people who actually track these things. When Kobe is a mere 30% something shooter in game winning shot situations, and other players who are not as good as Kobe make nearly as many (or even more) shots in less attempts, watch the homer fans on BOTH sides argue about Kobe as either being the greatest clutch shooter or someone who shouldn't be allowed to touch the ball in tight games.
I just say that they need to keep things in perspective. YES Kobe should get the ball. But not for the same reason his fans think he should. Your eyes don't lie. But your mind isn't perfect, doesn't remember everything, and can be subject to all kinds of biases - that why we go out and measure things.
Also, CP - I'm pretty sure when someone suggests someone is "clutch", it's not just chucking up the ball a TON and making enough shots to put in a highlight reel. They want to mean that the player ACTUALLY "raises his game" (you hear this cliche all the time) or performs better than he usually does or other players do "in the moment". It's why Kobe fans go out of their way to prop up Kobe as "the best clutch shooter". It's also funny to watch them backpedal and say "Stats don't matter!" when the "clutch" numbers actually show that he not only plays to HIS usual level, he also doesn't play as well as some other players who make as many shots with less attempts. You can't have it both ways.
@ DontStepOnMyShoes - Grow up.