Basketball may sometimes seem like a very straightforward game, but at the highest level, there are several facets to the sport that can make or break a player’s career. Mastering an element of the game is often enough for a player to have a solid NBA career, and the greatest of all time are the ones that can do everything at a high level.
One of the most coveted skills in the NBA is the ability of a player to perform in the clutch. A clutch situation is when the game is within 5 points with 5 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. Basketball games will often come down to the last few possessions and the players that can shine under that pressure are invaluable to NBA teams.
There are quite a few players that have an argument for being the most clutch in the league but whatever fans may think, the people that matter, the NBA executives have their ideas of who is the most clutch. A poll conducted by HoopsHype asked executives to rank the top 5 most clutch players in the league today and they ended up voting none other than Kevin Durant at the top of the list.
Top 5 most clutch players per NBA Executives’ poll (percentage of votes):
1. Kevin Durant: 50.48%
2. DeMar DeRozan: 40%
3. Stephen Curry: 32.38%
4. Damian Lillard: 26.67%
5. LeBron James: 25.71%
DeMar DeRozan has seen his stock rise greatly after performing at an MVP level for the Chicago Bulls this season. He became the first player in the history of the NBA to score buzzer-beating three-pointers on back-to-back nights earlier in the campaign.
Kevin Durant is as close to unstoppable as a scorer can be, so it’s no surprise to see him top the list, while Lillard has people calling the clutch ‘Dame Time’. Curry is a bit of a controversial choice while LeBron James being 5th is also something sure to raise some eyebrows. The King has hit the highest number of clutch field goals since he arrived in the league, so 5th seems a bit unfair for him.
Players like Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic and Chris Paul all have a case to be included in this list as well, but including or excluding them would involve very fine margins. In any case, players always get the chance to improve people’s perception of their abilities in the clutch whenever the high-stakes games in the playoffs come around.
