http://www.82games.com/1011/CSORT11.HTM http://www.82games.com/0910/CSORT11.HTM The top player for the rockets in "Clutch" scoring last year was Carl Landry. he ranked 16th in the league in scoring per 48/min in the clutch. per 48 numbers for Landry. FG% - 69.4% FT% - 77% Pts - 35.7 Rebonds - 15 Asists - 1.3 Blocks - 1.8 Steals - 0.4 Turnovers - 4.0 The top player for the rockets in "Clutch" scoring this year is Kevin Martin. he ranks 14th in the league in scoring per 48/min in the clutch. per 48 numbers for Martin. FG% - 50% 3P% - 50% FT% - 80% Pts - 40.6 Rebonds - 0.9 Asists - 0 Blocks - 0.9 Steals - 0 Turnovers - 2.8 What these numbers suggest is that Martin is not that bad in the clutch, he does nothing else but scores but his % is not bad, certainly way better than AB was last year. It's just as fans we were spoilt by a once in a generation clutch season performance last year by Landry. Our team was probably just as bad last year(maybe even worse) but we had the greatest clutch performer in the league last year to save the team. This year, we have an above average one, and the team is probably performing as it should.
15 rebounds per game, yeah where's all the "Landry can't rebound" people now? He got us a lot of second chance opportunities on offense
Last year our clutch player in the 4th (after Landry was traded) was AB. He took a while to figure things out. It was the DEN game at home that started his string of big baskets in the endgame. AB's injury has really hampered our ability to win close games.
Does that go against the criticism that Martin is no good in the clutch? (Kobe is shooting 38% in the clutch compared to Martin's 50%). Or does it satisfy the criticism, saying Martin is a one-dimensional scorer and nothing else in the clutch?
Ab's 09/10 clutch stats per 48 FG% - 37.4% FT% - 79% 3P% - 27.5% Pts - 34.9 Rebonds - 4.3 Asists - 7.2 Blocks - 0.3 Steals - 1.6 Turnovers - 3.7 Assisted - 21% It's actually round about the % you would expect for someone who is iso'ing most of his possessions. Wouldn't exactly call it clutch.
Here's a novel concept. Maybe the team is just flat out tired. Unless you feel the Rockets have had a stacked roster over the past 3 seasons (and I definitely do not), then maybe...just maybe...the overachieving against more talent has finally taken it's toll. Battier is aging in front of your eyes, Hayes has had to work his tail off to have some semblance of an offensive game (including re-worked FT's), Scola didn't rest this summer and was the MVP of the World Championships while carrying the Argentine team on his back, Brooks has never fully recovered from the ankle sprain, the paper-thin Martin takes a beating every game, Bud has the stereotypical Sophomore jinx, Hill and Lee may have had their confidence shaken... This is going to be a real offensive statement to some of you. But maybe they just weren't as talented as you thought they were when they were overachieving.
And then you have a coach who has a tendency to run his starters into the ground when things are going well..... OUT OF GAS DD
We've been in basically every game. The difference is once the 4th quarter starts we can't score anymore. It's like our players get scared. We can't dump the ball to Landry anymore and watch him drive in for a dunk.
I always think of the definition of clutch is being able to scor in the final minutes in crunchtime. Durin that time, kmart dissapears and or loses the ball for a fast break like yesterday.
Sort by fg%. Do you see any superstar wings topping that list? Those stars have greater responsibilities in the clutch. They're making plays so they're bigs and role players get easy buckets. The defenses are keying in on them so when they can't get their teammates good opportunities they are usually forced into taking a very bad shot. Martin is usually taking open jumpers off of screens. You have to give him credit for moving without the ball to get open but it's rather unlikely the Kobe's, Wade's, Lebron's and Durant's of the league see that good of a look at the end of games.
It's not fear. Our guys are not afraid they are just not capable. Everyone in the league knows how to beat the Rockets. Step up the D in the 4th, especially on Scola and Martin and go to your own goto guys. Almost every team has better go to guys than us. That is why they call them go to guys because you go to them in the crunch. Scola was never meant to be a go to guy. Martin can't beat anyone off the dribble. Yao was our go to guy. Even if he didn't score he had to be doubled. Brooks was our next best go to guy but he still is not in game form. None of our young players have proven to be goto guys. So when the other team steps up the D we struggle. Fortunately very few teams can play solid D for 4 quarters. Unfortunately it usually doesn't take that to beat us.
