Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMaus2
i think this is very fine hair splitting. The only guy on Kawhi's team that produced as well was Siakam. Kawhi led every game except for one in points, and he had good efficiency throughout. He had a Russ heroball type boxsxore, but i think even Russ wouldnt get the type of outcome that Kawhi got. Also if this series were played out with DeRozan Philly would have beaten them with brute talent.
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I don't disagree with any of that. Again, I think Kawhi is a great player. What I have a problem with is the narrative that the rim-rattler was a product - or more evidence - of his greatness; that it was a clutch shot. It was not. It was just luck, and great players - and lesser ones - get lucky. And sometimes they get unlucky... Yes, he shot well in 4th quarter - certainly compared to earlier in the game. But if what turned out to be his game-winner is a fraction of inch in any direction, it misses. It was difficult shot that was considerably
off compared to what he was attempting to do. Again, this is not a criticism of him. But
things just happen. He's not a choker because he shot poorly overall in a game 7 and missed a crucial free-throw. And in my book he would not have been a choker because of those things, even had his shot rimmed out and had Philly won in OT.
Or how about Lillard. So much talk about how he was clutch in the elimination game (and the deeeeep game-winning heave) against OKC. But then he serves up a clunker in a game seven against the Nuggets. Was he clutch in the OKC game? No, not in my book. He's a great player who had a great game and a great ending moment. Was he a choker in Gm 7 vs Denver? No, he just had a poor-shooting game. Yet, the narratives are / would-be inconsistent. The narrative labels him clutch for the OKC game, but did NOT label him a choker for the Gm 7 dud against the Nuggets. But it surely
would've labeled him a choker (or at least something like it) had McCallum not had a phenomenal game and Portland won.
To put it another way, if you (not necessarily you, TheMaus2) feel that Kawhi is "clutch" because he hit that shot, why don't you feel that he choked when he shot so poorly during the bulk of a game seven, and especially when he missed that crucial free throw near the end?