The Portland Trail Blazers were in trouble two nights before Christmas in Oklahoma City. They were finishing up their fourth road game in five nights and Russell Westbrook looked like he was playing the Grinch to the Blazers’ Christmas plans. With about five minutes left in the game, the Grinch banked in an unassisted jumper and the Thunder took a thirteen-point lead. With Westbrook filling up the stat sheet and Reggie Jackson having one of his best halves of the season, the Blazers seemed destined for some coal in their stocking. I was listening to the game on the radio, en route to a Christmas dinner, and nearly turned the game off after the Thunder were still ahead by 10 with less than two minutes left. But I left it on because the Blazers never lose hope. As long as Damian Lillard is on the roster, the game is always winnable.
We all know what happened next. Westbrook picked up a technical for arguing a foul and Lillard hit three free throws. The next time down the court, Damian hit a pull up three. Down by three with three seconds left, he sent the game into overtime with a 29 footer that could have been whistled for plagiarism – if it weren’t himself that he was copying.
From his nickname “Subzero” to jokes about being raised by ice, Lillard has made a name for himself by taking over at the end of games. Last night he did it again by scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter in Staples Center to vanquish the lowly Lakers. These performances have become commonplace for Blazers fans and many of us are pinching ourselves every time we look at the Western Conference standings. Is Damian Lillard’s endgame the reason? Is there really such thing as “clutchness” as many fans love to debate and is Lillard the king of the clutch? Let’s take a closer look.
The NBA’s criteria of “clutch” are plays that occur in the last five minutes of the game (or overtime) when neither team has more than a five-point lead. Certain greats through basketball history like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have been labeled clutch, which seems to be the ultimate level of on court respect. If everybody in the arena knows who is going to shoot the ball in the last minute and the other team is desperately trying to stop that player and he can still make the shot? This is greatness and shots like that cause middle-aged men in their cubicle to yell, “Kobe!” every time they throw a piece of paper in the trash.
Where does Damian Lillard fit in on this imaginary scale? His overtime stats alone should put him in discussion as one of the premier closers in the game. Per nbastats, he has shot 30/44 including 11/19 on three pointers in his fifteen career regular season overtime games. These are insane numbers (but are on a small scale). Most importantly, Portland holds a 12-3 record when Lillard is playing in overtime.
As for clutch stats, Lillard has shot a respectable 45% on 18 for 40 from the field per basketball reference. Compared to those who have made as many shots as him only Anthony Davis (an unbelievable 19 for 21 on clutch stats) and, oddly, Markieff Morris are clearly statistically better. Lillard’s numbers are not astounding though. Other guards such as John Wall and Mike Conley Jr. have similar stats and I don’t see amateur writers examining their “clutchness.” Is Lillard as clutch as legend has already begun to say?
Let’s take a step back. Are we really sure that clutchness exists? Many writers and fans are skeptical and for good reason. The numbers call it a myth because, over time, nobody has shot that well in the five minutes of the game. Kobe? From 2006-2012 he shot a pedestrian 41% in the clutch, and this was slightly better than other stars. I have even seen a few articles that expose Jordan’s mortality, and I just assumed he never missed in the fourth quarter. Yet, that does not mean Jordan was not great. Rob Mahoney said it best in 2012 after LeBron James was taking heat for being a choker. Jordan was not a winner in the clutch. He was just a winner and sometimes this was highlighted by last second plays.
The same was eventually said about LeBron after he claimed a few championship rings. Hopefully, it will be said about Lillard too. He already passes the eye test. When I watch the Blazers play, the game never seems out of reach. Stats aside, there is a poise Lillard has that is inspiring to watch. When he misses a shot (because he is human), he shrugs and then tries to make the next one instead. Usually, he does.
There might not be such thing as ‘clutchness’. But there is such thing as being a winner. Portland, it seems, has found one in Damian Lillard.
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