I read an article here on Bleacher Report a little over a week ago in which the author claimed that Kobe Bryant should rightly be considered Mr. Clutch, based on his recent fourth-quarter performance against the Nuggets.
In that game, claimed the author, Kobe "stood up from the bench and took off his sweats. Enter Mr. Clutch. In the corner beyond the arc and tightly guarded, his sights locked on the basket, Bryant went to work".
With "the Lakers look[ing] certain to suffer their first loss of the season with eight minutes remaining" (actually, the Lakers led the game with eight minutes to go, but let's overlook that slight distortion of the truth since it undermines the myth of Kobe's alleged greatness), Bryant proceeded to grab two rebounds and score fourteen points, shooting four of eight from the field (including one three-pointer) and five of six from the free-throw line.
In Kobe's time on the court, the Lakers turned a two-point lead into a seven-point victory. That's a five-point difference, for those of you keeping score at home.
Of course, that's a huge improvement over Bryant's performance in last year's Finals, where he went missing in the second half of game four, as the Celtics erased a 24-point deficit to post a record-breaking come-from-behind win in LA.
The fourth quarter in the Nuggets game also eclipsed Bryant's performance in the "win or go home" Game Six in Boston, where the Lakers were pounded by a record 39-point margin. Yes, Mr. Clutch.
Now, let's look at what Paul Pierce did last night. If Bryant's fourth quarter performance in the recent Nuggets game is further evidence that Kobe is Mr. Clutch, then what should we make of Pierce's performance in the fourth quarter against the Raptors last night?
The Celtics trailed by eight points to start the quarter (which Pierce played from start to finish), but ended up winning by seven. That's a fifteen-point turnaround, for those of you keeping score at home.
Individually, Pierce scored 22 points in the quarter, making seven of nine shots (including both of his three-point shot attempts) from the field, and six of seven free throws. Pierce also picked up three rebounds, dished out two assists, and had one turnover.
The Celtics were playing the second game of a tough back-to-back, as they had just returned from their victory over the Pistons in Detroit the previous evening. The Lakers played the Nuggets after a two-day break.
I will not be so bold as to claim that Paul Pierce is better than "Mr. Clutch." Nor will I perpetuate any myth about his achievements. Instead, I will let the numbers tell the truth about the Truth.
UPDATE, 12 November 2008, 10:27pm:
After the Celtics erase a 16-point deficit against the previously unbeaten Hawks, Pierce knocks down a last-second, game-winning shot to propel Boston to a one-point (103-102) victory over Atlanta. Pierce's statline: 34 points on 8 of 14 field goal shooting; 15 of 16 (5 of 5 in the fourth quarter) free throw shooting. Paul Pierce, the new Mr. Clutch?
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about 1 month ago
thank you!!!!!!!!
we need more people like you in this world!
pierce for MVP!!
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for reading and commenting, Brian. Personally, I get a little tired of all the hype surrounding Kobe and LebRon (and whoever else happens to be the current media favorite). A myth of greatness is generated around such players (and reinforced in the commercials of the companies these stars endorse, such as the Nike commercial where LebRon appears to knock down several consecutive 3/4 court shots -- it's done with clever video editing, people!), despite the fact that their games are not any better than Pierce's.
about 1 month ago
On December 25th the NBA has a present for us....
from about 1 month ago
Looking forward to it, John! I hope that everyone is healthy on both teams so that there won't be any excuses for the result... My early prediction: Lakers by 7, but Powe has another monster game with a double-double.
from about 1 month ago
It will be a good one for sure. Now that the Lakers bench has been upgraded, I am excited to see the Odon Powe matchup. I love Powe, he and Millsap are the 2 best bigs off the bench, but LO is not your typical bench player either. It'll be a good 25th, no matter what your celebrating.
about 1 month ago
when you can carry a team( which includes keving garnett and ray allen) for two games against solid teams like toronto and atlanta then yes, paul pierce is the new mr. clutch. On a personal note he is the most productive and important player on the best team in the league, mvp?.
from about 1 month ago
I agree, gavin. Many people don't realize just how much Pierce contributes to this team even when he is not scoring. He usually guards the opposition's best player, sets up teammates for wide-open looks, and puts his body on the line to draw contact on drives that put the opposition in foul trouble and earn the Celtics free throws. Paul is not adored by the media, however, so those who don't see him play very often think it's silly to put him on the same level as Bryant, where the celebrities and media circus flock and fawn over their hero.
about 1 month ago
But how many 50 points game will Kobe have this year ?
Compare to Paul Pierce ?
Talking about a ''Mr Clutch'' that can win a game just by himself...
Paul Pierce is really good, but he's not that man.
Just imagine if Kobe was playing with Ray Allen and Garnett...
from about 1 month ago
Pierce probably won't have any 50-point games (unless he forgets the concept of team play and starts selfishly jacking up 25+ shots a game), but he will probably have several more game winning shots and big fourth quarters that earn the Celtics more victories.
I guess you and I define clutch differently. Scoring 50 points a game is no good unless your team actually wins. LebRon had some monster games against the Celtics in the Finals last year and during their first meeting this year, but he blew key shots at the end of those games or turned the ball over which allowed Boston to win. I saw Bryant disappear at critical moments in the Lakers Finals series against the Celtics last year, too.
Conversely, Paul Pierce stepped up big time and carried the Celtics to victory during several series-deciding games in last year's playoffs. To me, that is the definition of clutch: the ability to get it done when it matters, not scoring 50 points on 30-some odd shot attempts.
Just imagine if the Truth was playing with Bynum, Gasol and Odom...(with Phil Jackson as coach).
about 1 month ago
Gav,
Nice piece. Agree.
Kobe gets too much respect for clutch play.
In truth (pun) both players miss big shots.
But Pierce seems to be gettting more clutch as he ages.
T
about 1 month ago
''I guess you and I define clutch differently. Scoring 50 points a game is no good unless your team actually wins.''
I know that, the 50 points thing was not really my definition of a clutch player... To be honest, I write that to mess with you since you seems so convinced about Pierce...
But dude, seriously, before the venue of Allen and Garnett, the ''thruth'' (this one make me laugh, what about Jesus?) was not clutching that much...
But it's just my opinion...
from about 1 month ago
I agree with you. Pierce is a completely different player now than he was just a few years ago. He now understands that he has to sacrifice parts of his game some nights for the team to win. You'll notice that I asked the question of whether or not Pierce is the 'new' Mr. Clutch. Mounting evidence is beginning to suggest that he is well on his way to earning that label.
Thanks for your feedback, it's genuinely appreciated.
about 1 month ago
fantastic article. you will prove so many people wrong with this. its about time he gets recgonized for his performance as a great player rather than someone below kobe and lebron.
about 1 month ago
Nice article Gaz! Pierce now has the ability to be clutch, now that he has a chance to win games. kobe is a lot of "Mr's", but maybe Paul Pierce can take Mr. Clutch.
about 1 month ago
Pierce is fierce but Kobe Bryant is his team and so is Lebron
you may not like those 2 but give them their due they don't have Ray Allen or Kevin Garnett to bail them out of trouble every single time they screw up(but Kobe screwed up his chances with Shaq)
about 1 month ago
Where was Kobe in the Finals if he's considered "clutch"?
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