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Does Deron Williams Choke In The Clutch?

You always have to take situational stats as a small sample size over a bigger picture. 100 minutes for a stat is kind of low, especially when Williams played somewhere near 2500.

That said, I think it's unwise to just toss aside the numbers as irrelevant. I think there is value to the numbers. It's just how much value you place on them. I do believe Williams had somewhat of a down year as far at late game play is concerned. Everyone will look at the highlights and forget the low lights, so throwing out the OKC game isn't helpful to the conversation, just like throwing out the Portland miss wouldn't be helpful.

I also the think the Jazz bog down late in games, running the shot clock down, then running the high pick and roll. Running the regular offense can get looks early in the shot clock, and the Jazz mentality (or any team's mentality; all teams do this) is to shorten the game. Makes the game more one on one, and I'm sure Deron's usage climbs significantly in these situations, thus lowering his efficiency.

In the end, I don't think it's a huge deal. Maybe just something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
 
I think a possible flaw in the logic used by the author of that article is assuming that the last five minutes of the game are always "clutch time." Sure, there were probably several games that came down the final few possessions but I think on average, most games had probably been decided by that point. That's definitely not to say that Deron should be considered a 'closer' ala the likes of Kobe or Lebron. But I think its unfair to call him a choker because of a statistical drop off in the final five minutes of a 48 minute game.
 
The guy on the other forum pretty much undercuts the supposed significance of this article (if he's right, anyway):

1. It's Bleacher Report

2. Talk about small sample size, Deron played 100 minutes in "Clutch" time. Imagine taking a random three game sample from a players career and writing an article based solely on that information. Stupid

3. Deron's 08-09 "Clutch" stats:

32.8 points, 12.4 assists, 47.1 FG%, 86 FT% (144 minutes)

Also, defense generally toughens up near the end of close games. The fact that a player's scoring "goes down" to "only" 19.6pts/48 minutes, for example, doesn't exactly scream "CHOKE!"
 
And another thing, the drop in assist numbers could just as easily be attributed to his team mates inability to nail a corner three in clutch time.
 
I don't think there's an easy answer - Deron's a mixed bag in the clutch.

There are games where he totally takes over - like the nationally televised game in Portland when The Jazz were down by 20 at the half. In the last 5 minutes of the game and overtime he was easily the best player on the court on both sides of the floor.

Other times he tries to do too much in the clutch - like early in the season.

And there were times where he downright choked. Like the first two games of the Laker series. Both of those games were winnable if he played up to his capabilities the 4th period.
 
The fact that Deron only played 100 minutes in so-called "clutch time," coupled with the fact that the Jazz won 53 games, tells you something too, don't it? In 82 games, that's only a little more than 1 minute per game where the score was close in the last 5 minutes. If your team generally has a big lead near the end of the game, maybe you played pretty "clutch" in all those games, which never even get counted, eh?
 
Four minutes left, Jazz up by 4, Deron misses a shot, steals the ball, but his momentum carries him out of bounds. Result 1 turnover, 0% shootin durin "clutch time," so far. Price steals the inbounds pass and dunks. Jazz up 6, end of clutch time. Deron, still pissed, scores 13 points on 100% shootin to end the game, Jazz win by 20. Purty bad "clutch time" performance, right there, know what I'm sayin?
 
Hopper said:
The fact that Deron only played 100 minutes in so-called "clutch time," coupled with the fact that the Jazz won 53 games, tells you something too, don't it? In 82 games, that's only a little more than 1 minute per game where the score was close in the last 5 minutes. If your team generally has a big lead near the end of the game, maybe you played pretty "clutch" in all those games, which never even get counted, eh?
Click to expand...

That's very similar to my "Steve Young vs Joe Montana" argument, which I made (in favor of Steve Young) to 49er fans who kept on bringing up how great Joe Montana was in the last 2 minutes.
 
candrew said:
I don't think there's an easy answer - Deron's a mixed bag in the clutch.
Click to expand...

No player is at his best all the time. After everyone was talkin about how great of a "clutch player" Kobe was this year, someone went back and did some research. They found that in the last 10 years Kobe had taken 56 "game on the line" shots. Those were defined as a shot with less than 20 seconds left which, if made, would either give his team the lead, or tie the game.

Turns out, he only made 14 of them--25%.
 
I've seen Deron come through more often in crunch time than many of the league's superstars since he's been in the league. I don't want the ball in anyone elses hands if the game is on the line, ever.
 
anyonethat says dwill isnt clutch is a plain idiot. Maybe they should write an article about how cp3 aint clutch. ALl you gotta watch is the 04-05 illini game against zone when he lead them back down 15 with 3 minutes left. Dude was so calm shooting 3s to come back. What a joke of an article but thanx for posting
 
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