Even huge KG supporters like myself have to say he doesn't generally take over down the stretch on the offensive end, but I think his "clutch" play is vastly underestimated because there's no statistical measure of what he does on the defensive end at the end of games.
The Celtics missed chances to put Game 1 away in part because KG missed all 5 jumpshots he took when he entered the game with 10 minutes to go (though he did have an assist, the monster putback dunk, and got to the line once, making both). Not a great offensive performance in the clutch. And that's to be expected. Like it or not, Kevin Garnett is more a jump shooter than a post player. We can want that to be different all day, but it's not changing. As a jump shooter, it's less what he's doing to create space than whether the shot is going down. He generally gets about 20-25 points a night. Sometimes, those points come in the 1st when his shot's going down. Sometimes it's in the 2nd or 3rd, sometimes it's in the 4th. But it's just about whether the shot's going down.
That's why I don't get why so many think "we have to get the ball to KG in the post in the fourth quarter." Look, if his shot is going down, yeah, feed the hot hand, but if you don't know, why force it to him? He's an excellent jump shooter for a seven-footer, but he's not an excellent jump shooter compared to Ray Allen or Paul Pierce. If I had to choose one of those guys to take an open 15 to 20 footer, it's Ray. If I have to choose one to post and take a fallaway jumper, it's Paul. If I had to choose one to take it to the basket, it's Paul. We shouldn't necessarily force it to KG in the post because it's not our most efficient offense. In fact, it's probably best for our offense when he gets it if a double comes in and he can find an open shooter for a 3 in the corner (the second most efficient shot in basketball besides a layup).
The other factors in KG not necessarily being the best offensive option down the stretch are that he expends a great deal of his energy on the defensive end and the glass, and we're better off with him in position for rebounding.
Look at his defensive performance down the stretch in Game 1. Pau Gasol came in with 8:41 left in the game. The game was pretty close for the rest of the game, with the Celtics' lead generally ranging from 4 to 8 points. But in that time, Pau Gasol only got two offensive chances - he missed one 17 footer and got to the line once on a foul by KG (making 1 of 2). Lamar Odom was in the game until 2 minutes left, when the Lakers took him out for Vlad Rad for 3 point shooting purposes. Odom only got in on one offensive play with KG in there - a 3 point play where he drove in for a layup and was fouled by PJ Brown.
That defensive dominance (the Celtics only allowed 15 4th quarter points to the best offense in the NBA featuring the best 4th quarter offensive player in the NBA) in the most clutch situation is what won the game. And KG doesn't get nearly enough media attention and credit for the fact that he leads the Celtics to really clamp down on the defensive end in such situations.
Think back to Game 6 against Detroit. Our offense did get more scoring in the 4th, but a lot of that was brought on by the fact that we only allowed the Pistons 13 4th quarter points in that clinching game. KG has been rising that 4th quarter defensive intensity. It might not happen in every game, but in the last 2 games, that 4th quarter D has won essential playoff games for us.
To me, that's what we should focus on when it comes to analyzing KG in the clutch, not just his offensive stats. I'd be willing to bet that during the Spurs run, for all the credit Robert Horry gets for big shots, Tim Duncan's defense ramped up considerably in the 4th quarter. That kind of stuff doesn't get a player credit for "clutchness" but I'm starting to think that might be unfair to the other side of basketball which is just as important to closing out and winning games.
Topic: KG's Clutchness (Read 4257 times)