Is Kemba Walker a top 5-7 calibre closer in the league?

[Tr1boy]

I say yes

Yet to be determined in the playoffs

He just hasnt had the  support to show it in the playoffs yet

[Mr October]

probably not quite yet. I would be curious what the stats suggest. And as you said we need more playoff evidence for Kemba. Off the top of my head I have these guys as the top closers:

1. Leonard
2. Durant
3. Curry
4. Lillard
5. James
6. Antetokounmpo
7. Irving
8. Harden
9. Kemba Walker - and he is not far behind Irving and Harden as a closer. He was particularly awesome last year.

[Silky]

probably not quite yet. I would be curious what the stats suggest. And as you said we need more playoff evidence for Kemba. Off the top of my head I have these guys as the top closers:

1. Leonard
2. Durant
3. Curry
4. Lillard
5. James
6. Antetokounmpo
7. Irving
8. Harden
9. Kemba Walker - and he is not far behind Irving and Harden as a closer. He was particularly awesome last year.

I dont see Giannis being a closer. Not yet at least.

He isnt taking a shot with the game on the line....thats middleton.

[jpotter33]

probably not quite yet. I would be curious what the stats suggest. And as you said we need more playoff evidence for Kemba. Off the top of my head I have these guys as the top closers:

1. Leonard
2. Durant
3. Curry
4. Lillard
5. James
6. Antetokounmpo
7. Irving
8. Harden
9. Kemba Walker - and he is not far behind Irving and Harden as a closer. He was particularly awesome last year.

I dont see Giannis being a closer. Not yet at least.

He isnt taking a shot with the game on the line....thats middleton.

Agreed. Not sure that Giannis is on that list yet, especially given his lack of shooting.

[SHAQATTACK]

for sure..now that he is Celtic

[footey]

I think Kawhi is 1.  KD is gone for now so should be taken off list. Who knows how he will return post Achilles.

I'd move Lillard to 2.  That brother can ball with the game on the line.

[Silky]

https://stats.nba.com/players/clutch-traditional/?dir=-1&sort=GP

Accourding to nba.com.

Kemba score more points in the clutch than kyrie and is 7th behind chriss, lemon, olapipo, leonard, harden, sumner

[Tr1boy]

https://stats.nba.com/players/clutch-traditional/?dir=-1&sort=GP

Accourding to nba.com.

Kemba score more points in the clutch than kyrie and is 7th behind chriss, lemon, olapipo, leonard, harden, sumner

Who is Chriss, Lemon?

[Mr October]

probably not quite yet. I would be curious what the stats suggest. And as you said we need more playoff evidence for Kemba. Off the top of my head I have these guys as the top closers:

1. Leonard
2. Durant
3. Curry
4. Lillard
5. James
6. Antetokounmpo
7. Irving
8. Harden
9. Kemba Walker - and he is not far behind Irving and Harden as a closer. He was particularly awesome last year.

I dont see Giannis being a closer. Not yet at least.

He isnt taking a shot with the game on the line....thats middleton.

That makes sense. Giannis lack of outside shooting should drop him a little. That moves Kemba up to number 8. Not bad!

Middleton, Beal, Oladipo and Lou Williams might be right behind Kemba. All those guys outside of the top 5 are very very close. Anthony Davis might crack in there now that he is going to be on a juggernaut.

[jambr380]

https://stats.nba.com/players/clutch-traditional/?dir=-1&sort=GP

Accourding to nba.com.

Kemba score more points in the clutch than kyrie and is 7th behind chriss, lemon, olapipo, leonard, harden, sumner

Who is Chriss, Lemon?

Haha - I mean, come on silky - you have to remove Walt Lemon, Marquese Chriss, Tony Bradley, and Jerome Robinson from the list as the sample size is WAY too small.

That leaves you with: Kawhi, Oladipo, Irving, Booker, and then Walker (in that order). So he is 5th on this list, but some pretty well-known guys are missing. I would easily say top 10, so 5th-7th isn't out of the ballpark by any means. The stats page shows those players all so close so I would use that more as a guideline than absolute fact.

[Boris Badenov]

https://stats.nba.com/players/clutch-traditional/?dir=-1&sort=GP

Accourding to nba.com.

Kemba score more points in the clutch than kyrie and is 7th behind chriss, lemon, olapipo, leonard, harden, sumner

Who is Chriss, Lemon?

That list isn't filtered the right way. If you look at scoring rate among starters, it's Oladipo, Harden, Kyrie, Kemba and Steph in the top 5.

Now, the other question is efficiency and there Kemba doesn't do so well, he shoots 41/33/81 in the clutch. Oladipo (smaller sample), Kyrie and Steph all shoot higher percentages. Harden is worse.

[SparzWizard]

The ball will now be in his hands for a game-tying/game-winning shot.

[kmart12]

He's definitely a decent option with the game on the line. I imagine he'll only become better when he actually has competent teammates to rely on when his shot isn't there. Certainly a top 10-15 guy in the league in this category.

[Silky]

http://www.nbaminer.com/clutch-time-stats/

[CelticsPoetry]

https://stats.nba.com/players/clutch-traditional/?dir=-1&sort=GP

Accourding to nba.com.

Kemba score more points in the clutch than kyrie and is 7th behind chriss, lemon, olapipo, leonard, harden, sumner

Who is Chriss, Lemon?

That list isn't filtered the right way. If you look at scoring rate among starters, it's Oladipo, Harden, Kyrie, Kemba and Steph in the top 5.

Now, the other question is efficiency and there Kemba doesn't do so well, he shoots 41/33/81 in the clutch. Oladipo (smaller sample), Kyrie and Steph all shoot higher percentages. Harden is worse.

Very interesting - this list is populated by small guards. Tells you something about the notion of needing wings and big men to win