Been watching more of the Heat this year due to a better sports package. Since the all star game, the big media circle jerk bull**** has been about Lebron and end of game scenarios. When they lost to the jazz, everyone was freaking out that he wouldn't take the shot even though he was double teamed and gave it to a wide open guy who took a shot in his comfort zone. Battier said it best on PTI the other day, that Lebron makes the right basketball play every time.

I'm not debating whether lebron shouldn't make the right bball play on paper every time and take over by himself no matter what at times, because I think he should....but I've been paying attention to Heat games, especially lately, and the people who have been screwing up in the final 2 minutes have been everyone other than LBJ.

Tonight's game is nothing different...Haslem misses a wide open alley oop in the final minute and commits a terrible foul in a tie game. Wade has a breakaway pass to Lebron that he throws out of bounds way too far in front that would have tied it with just over a minute left. Lebron? After the heat go down 4 with a minute left, he scores 5 points in 19 seconds, then after the aforementioned issues with Wade/Haslem, the heat find themselves down 3 and Lebron drains a 3 to tie it with 10 seconds left....

then Lebron plays man up defense on the PG Collison, deflects the ball and forces overtime.

The point? When I watch these games, more often I see other players on the heat, including Wade who are making critical mistakes in the final 2 minutes, yet Lebron is the guy taking all the heat because at the end he's not finishing how everyone wants him to.

I know the hate for lebron is overwhelmingly strong on this board, so I'm not going to expect much...but anyone who has truly been watching some of these games lately, and not just the ESPN highlights...Lebron's teammates(including his superstar teammates) have been a huge issue in the heat struggling late in games and much more so than lebron.

The last 1:15 of this game the dude has been mega clutch, no other way around it.

what a game, Lebron hits a 3 to get them back in it in OT, and then D Wade hits the jumper to win. His 2nd made FG since halftime.

[This message has been edited by Bunk Moreland (edited 3/10/2012 9:29p).]

It's just in comparison to other players. If you're going to be grouped with people like Jordan and Kobe you need to up your game in meaningful situations or you're going to get ripped. And then BronBron never does himself any favors when he opens his mouth either.

I agree...but maybe my question is...why isn't he compared to a guy like Magic who compares better to him. Lebron is such a floor general from an unconventional spot, it's different to just expect him to be like MJ or Kobe. Also, LBJ has had his share of clutch playoff of last second performances, but it may not be like Kobe or MJ...it's just different.

I still say what LBJ did against the Pistons is better than any playoff performance I've ever seen from Kobe or anyone in LBJ's time in the pros.

He put the spotlight on himself and his ginormous ego. Any **** he gets is his own damn fault.

Last season, it was like he was allergic to the ball in the final minutes of close games. He'd pass the ball off way early, not just when he was double teamed. You can't watch a couple heat games in the regular season and come to.conclusions that override what has mostly defined his career. Just look at that all star game, he had the ball with a chance to take the lead with single.coverage and he threw a pass across is body across the court to a guy who was more guarded than he was instead of creating a shot for himself.

Over his career he was much more willing to take the final shot while in Cleveland. A lot of times it didn't work. Most of this criticism has come since he got to Miami. You said I can't watch a few games and decide that then you cite the freaking all star game?

My entire point is that when watching lebron in the final minutes, he's doing a lot more thj he right than wrong, when the perception is he just clams up and hides with under a minute to play.

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Just look at that all star game, he had the ball with a chance to take the lead with single.coverage and he threw a pass across is body across the court to a guy who was more guarded than he was instead of creating a shot for himself.

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What game were you watching? The first pass he threw to Deron Williams whose man was screened off. The second Kobe was on him with Durant shadowing behind so he made the piss poor pass to Wade who had more of a shot to make a play. If you watch where Durant was and how he was setting up behind Kobe, Lebron didn't have a shot to create anything 1-on-1. The only 'bad' play he made there was telegraphing the pass

The 4th quarter stats from last season don't lie

they definitely stand out in regards to his 4th quarter stats in other seasons throughout his career.

If anything, it shows that the transition of being THE guy, to playing alongside a super-star and a star was tougher on his game to adjust than he thought it would be.

I think the concept of being "clutch" is overrated. Players are who they are, but we place huge importance on what happens in the last minute of a ballgame. It's a small sample, and there are other important factors.

With Lebron, whatever you think about him as a person, is unselfish on the court. When the opponent leaves a teammate wide open (and they frequently do to cover him or Wade), he's going to find that teammate most of the time whether it's in the first 45 minutes of the game or the last 3. As I mentioned before, I think the right basketball play in the first 45 minutes is the right play in the last 3, and the player will generally execute the same either way. You might be able to argue that Lebron forcing a shot is actually a better play than passing it off for an open look for another player, but that is a different argument.

Kobe takes a huge number of potential gamewinners, but his efficiency is actually not very good late in the game. Kobe is an efficient scorer most of the time, so does he freak out late in the game or does something else happen that makes him perform worse? I'd say it is because he insists on taking the last shot, even if that means he takes a deep, double-teamed 3 while someone else is open. The joke in all this is that people remember how many gamewinners he has, so they consider him one of the most clutch performers of all time in spite of the numbers.

Now look at Robert Horry, good old Big Shot Bob. He is considered extremely clutch... but he also got to take open shots in rhythm because teams were draped all over Hakeem Olajuwon, O'Neal/Bryant, and Duncan/Ginobili/Parker. If you give a 35% or better 3 point shooter like Horry an open catch-and-shoot, he's going to drain them at a pretty good clip. Some of the shots he hit were late, so a legend grew up.


Overall, "clutch" is mostly a product of peoples' skewed perceptions.

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 3/11/2012 2:28p).]

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Overall, "clutch" is mostly a product of peoples' skewed perceptions.

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From a mental standpoint - maybe. I think the drama of those moments leads to "clutch" being over-hyped in certain situations. But crunch time, closing minutes of close games, whatever, always carries a different intensity, and I think that is the important distinction.

Some guys thrive in that situation, some guys fold. Mental aspect plays a large part (which ties back to what you said about perception). But there are so many factors that can affect performance in "clutch" time that I don't think clutch is overrated. I think it is justifiably important.

When it comes to Lebron though, what is being said about him is a little over the top. I don't think he particularly thrives in those situations, but every little decision he makes in the closing seconds of games shouldn't be dissected and scrutinized.

The reality, and perception of lebron not being weak in the clutch will come from 3 things.

1. When he doesnt shank late game FTs
2. When he hits a big shot to win a damn championship
3. When he makes the right play/pass to win a damn championship.

Is lebron over scrutinized for his late game choking? Yep.

Has he earned the monikor of being clutch? Hell no

He may never on the Heat. Since thats clealry Wades team

[This message has been edited by simplebay (edited 3/11/2012 5:37p).]

I agree with the OP. It's easy to forget what Lebron did to Chicago and even Boston. Heck, he carried that team to the finals. The team as a whole looked liked they thought the ball had the plague in the 4th quarter against Dallas.

Here's this, it's a tad outdated. And forget the bit about Kobe, it's irrelevant, but the data shows some interesting stuff: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/24200/the-truth-about-kobe-bryant-in-crunch-time

[This message has been edited by Nomadic_ag (edited 3/12/2012 2:00a).]

Lebron only needs to lose four more NBA finals games to surpass Michael Jordan.

He could do that this year, and it would only have taken him three trips to the finals match MJ's number of losses.

It doesn't matter what Lebron does, he isn't clutch. I heard it on PTI so it's true.

and tonight it looks like they've gone right back to last year's formula which is not good in close games at the end. Both have missed shots late, but the flow just absolutely shuts down on too many possessions when they decide which guy's turn it is to go 1 on the team. Very tough to do against a team with a center like Howard, because that eliminates driving the lane.

I think the quicker the Heat internally kill the "is this Wade's team or Lebron's team?" stupidity, they'll start recognizing that they are 2 of the 5 best players in the game, and that shouldn't be an issue at all.

Oh, and Battier has not helped at all, missing countless 3's in the 4th and overtime off good Lebron passes. Usually see him hit 1 or 2 of those.

On the magic's side...is this the last we've seen of Dwight Howard in a Magic uniform? Jameer Nelson finally shows up with a good game on possibly Howards final night in Orlando. Interesting.