Hoops Habit
Fansided

Miami Heat: The vital importance of performance in the clutch

By Simon Smith

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

While a number of factors contribute to success, the performance of the Miami Heat in the clutch has been vital in recent seasons.

The past three seasons have been somewhat of a roller coaster for the Miami Heat.

In alternating missing and making the postseason each of these three years, there have naturally been a number of factors that contribute to their eventual win/loss record come the end of the season. But one factor that stood out during this period has been their performance in the clutch.

In the broadest sense, clutch time is defined as being the last five minutes of a game with the score being five points the difference or less.

While this may represent just a portion of a 48-minute game, it nonetheless has the potential to make-or-break the fortunes of team come the end of the regular season.

As a result last season of their shortcomings down the stretch of games, the Heat had 15 losses of just five points or less.

From an overall perspective, here’s how the Heat have fared in some of the major statistical measurements (made the playoffs in 2017-18, missed the other two years):

More from Hoops Habit

Offensive Rating in the clutch 

  • 2016-17: 97.6 (27th)
  • 2017-18: 110.9 (5th)
  • 2018-19: 94.7 (30th)

True shooting percentage in the clutch

  • 2016-17: 50.3 (25th)
  • 2017-18: 59.7 (5th)
  • 2018-19: 48.1 (30th)

3-point percentage in the clutch

  • 2016-17: 32.3 (13th)
  • 2017-18: 39.2 (1st)
  • 2018-19: 21.2 (30th)

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1053118866178691073?s=20

While these numbers represent the team as a whole, some players from an individual perspective have stood out over the past four seasons as it pertains to their output.

Here’s how the players on the current Heat roster, including new arrivals this offseason, have fared in total plus/minus over the past three seasons:

Heat roster total plus/minus past three seasons:

  1. Jimmy Butler: +80
  2. Kelly Olynyk: +76
  3. Goran Dragic: +36
  4. Derrick Jones Jr.: +5
  5. Meyers Leonard: -25
  6. James Johnson: -37
  7. Dion Waiters: -38
  8. Bam Adebayo: -41
  9. Justise Winslow: -60

Clearly, the standout among the group is the newly arrived Jimmy Butler. While he reached the postseason unlike the Heat in each of the past three seasons, Butler’s potency and production in the clutch has proven to be elite, both visually and by the numbers.

The following clip from ESPN’s program The Jump, aired in the midst of this past postseason, explains just how well Butler performs in the clutch compared to the rest of the league:

The other notable standout from the above list is Olynyk.

While he appeared in 112 total clutch minutes in his debut season for the Heat, Olynyk played just 48 minutes last season and was the only player aside from the now-departed Josh Richardson to have recorded a positive plus/minus recording among the 10 players last season who played at least 40 minutes in the clutch.

While he’s no longer on the roster, Dwyane Wade was certainly one of the biggest culprits over the entirety of last season. Just second in total clutch minutes to Richardson, Wade nonetheless attempted the most shots from the field while recording the anemic .390/.192/.714 shooting splits over the final five minutes of games.

Furthermore, Wade was a minus-36 in the clutch, the second-worst recording on the roster only to Waiters.

So after recording a respectable 29-24 clutch record in 2017-18, the Heat’s 21-24 record last seasons was clearly somewhat of an influence for missing the postseason for the second time in three seasons.

Ranking the NBA's best mascots of all-time. dark. Next

However with the addition of Jimmy Butler, and the potential growth of several players on the roster, the Miami Heat will be hoping for a reversal of fortunes in the clutch come the 2019-20 season.

Home/Miami Heat