It’s the last two minutes of the game and the team is ahead or behind by five points or less. It’s crunch time, or the “clutch” situations. The Houston Rockets have James Harden, who is terrific at getting (and making) foul shots, so the Rockets must be terrific in those spots, right? Uh, not so much.
In fact, the Rockets are the second WORST team in all of basketball (in terms of net points) during that time. On average, they are outscored by 3.2 points in the last two minutes of games when they’re ahead or behind by five points or less. For those wondering, the worst is the New Orleans Pelicans (-7.0) and the best is the Indiana Pacers (+4.3).
Last night was another spot where the Rockets totally fell apart. Feel free to watch if you have a strong stomach:
This trend is extremely disturbing for those expecting great things from the Rockets. The elite teams close out well. They thrive in those late game situations with the game on the line. Is there any chance they go deep into the playoffs with this kind of clutch play?
IT MUST BE DWIGHT AND HIS FREE THROWS
Is it the Dwight Howard effect? The fact that he’s a poor foul shooter and maybe he’s bringing the team down with him? Actually, it’s not. Howard is the sixth-worst in the league with a -19, but it’s more a function of his team.
Howard has played 16 minutes of clutch time and has taken just two shots (making one). He’s gone 2-for-4 from the free-throw line and has six rebounds and two blocks. Although, Howard is a part of the problem because of the fact that the Rockets don’t trust him at the line.
PARSONS IS CLUTCH, RIGHT?
Uh, wrong again. As a matter of fact, Chandler Parsons is the worst in the NBA during clutch time, at a -23. In the 15 minutes of clutch time that Parsons has been on the court, he’s made a grand total of ZERO shots (0-for-5). He’s also 2-for-4 from the free throw line and he even adds five personal fouls to the mix.
While Parsons is a solid player who can draw some of the attention out to the three-point line, he hasn’t been doing it late in games. In those clutch minutes, Parsons hasn’t even attempted a three-pointer yet.
LUCKILY WE’VE GOT HARDEN
Yes, it’s lucky that the Rockets have a player willing to step up when the spotlight is brightest. James Harden is the kind of player that teams would love to have late in games, because he’s able to draw fouls and he’s a very good free-throw shooter.
All of that sounds great…but the numbers don’t back up that opinion. Harden is a -15 in clutch time, which is better than Parsons and Howard, but his shooting percentage leaves a bit to be desired. I feel like his percentage deserves it’s own line, so here it is:
1-for-11 (.091)
THAT’S HIS FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE!
SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, RIGHT?
That’s what you’ll need to tell yourself if you’re a Rockets fan. Tell yourself that the Rockets are still building chemistry. Tell yourself they’re figuring out who is most reliable in clutch situations. Tell yourself they’re getting good shots and they just aren’t falling.
Or…realize that there is a man shooting 57.1 percent (4-for-7) and has shown in the past that he has no problem stepping up in big moments…maybe you’ve heard of him?
Yep, Lin is the man.(NBA.com photo)