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Russ is the worst clutch player in NBA history: Change my mind
436 sats \ 11 comments \ @Undisciplined 2 Apr Stacker_Sports
I've always loved Westbrook. He plays so hard and does things through sheer force of will that no one else has ever been able to do. He's also the last guy you want on the court at the end of close games.
No one has ever so reliably made poor choices in late game, or even just end of clock, situations. Here are some highlights from the epic Nuggets vs T-Wolves game, which Russ completely blew at the end.
I've said before that I think Russ' career +/- would be 4 points higher if coaches had never let him play at the ends of quarters. Translation for non-analytics nerds: Russ has blown virtually every final possession throughout his entire career. It's unbelievable.
Is there anyone I'm overlooking as a worse clutch performer?
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31 sats \ 7 replies \ @grayruby 2 Apr
He definitely blew that game.
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40 sats \ 6 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 2 Apr
If he were a first eight minutes of every quarter guy, he would have been so much better.
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30 sats \ 5 replies \ @grayruby 2 Apr
He is the Jake Moody of NBA players except he is actually good most of the time. Haha
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50 sats \ 4 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 2 Apr
There's probably a QB who would be a decent comp, but I can't really think of the right one. Someone who is just absurdly unstoppable, until it's crunch time and then completely collapses in on himself.
Dak comes to mind, but he's never at Russ levels of dominance.
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24 sats \ 3 replies \ @grayruby 2 Apr
I think Dak is a good example. Goff. But to your point those guys were never best player in the league level dominant like Russ.
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50 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 2 Apr
Russ isn't even someone who shrinks in the playoffs, like a Harden or Embiid. He's exactly the same in the playoffs: crazy unstoppable, until he makes a bunch of boneheaded plays at the ends of quarters.
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27 sats \ 0 replies \ @teresa969 2 Apr
I agree Russ is defenitely not a clutch player. Since he is not that great of a shooter and a little selfish this makes sense.
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22 sats \ 1 reply \ @6ad3e2a348 2 Apr
exactly right -- high energy, wears down teams, relentless, but can't shoot and turns it over, terrible recipe for clutch time.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 2 Apr
And he takes every possession personally, so he never defers to teammates in those spots.
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