How did Travis Outlaw become a clutch player?

Post #21 » by **pillwenney** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:19 am

AWalkerREMIX wrote:It's a mindset. You don't have to have tons of big game experience to be clutch. There are lots of unknown clutch players...like Delonte West for example. There are also a lot of well known players who completely falter when the game is on the line. It has nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with confidence.

Pretty close to what I was going to say. It's a mindset that can't really be taught. Basically though, clutch players are pretty much always just very confident.

Fitz303 · Post #22 » by **Fitz303** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:32 am

NetsForce wrote:All I'm getting at is that there are a number of other players who are just as clutch as Outlaw and they don't get their own thread =[

Also I'm not sure how you could argue playing Outlaw closer wouldn't make things more difficult for him, sure he has GREAT ups and he's a pretty lengthy player but there are a ton of players in the NBA with great ups, and length who don't always succeed in the clutch.

Teams haven't adjusted to Outlaw's new jumper and like I said before, to his credit he's making them pay the price. Props to him, but every year there are a handful of players who hit some game winners here and there and get this "clutch" label when it's not really something they deserve.

Outlaws money shots are to take it straight at the defender and step back J, or back him down and hit the turn around fade. Both of those shots, he hits with consistency with defenders right in his face. Im not sure where youre getting the whole thing about guys not going out and playing him. Obviously theres other guys who you would rather have the ball in their hands at the end of the game, but Outlaw has done pretty well when given the chance

Post #23 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:48 am

I think the ability to take clutch shots is either something you have or you don't, the mentality was always there, he just needed to develop his shooting skill.

Tiggo Bitties · Post #24 » by **Tiggo Bitties** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:02 am

Thank god you posted NetsForce. I was becoming a little concerned about the lack of haters in this thread.

No player or team in the league should have their own thread on this board. All it does is put sand in people's vaginas and cause hurt feelings. :cry:

NetsForce · Post #25 » by **NetsForce** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:10 am

I'm just doing my job Tiggo. I'm just doing my job.

swede · Post #26 » by **swede** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:10 am

I wonder what Outlaw would be doing if he couldn't jump really, really high during high school.

AKBlazerFan · Post #27 » by **AKBlazerFan** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:15 am

Janitor at that same school ^^

Outlaw hit the clutch shot against Atlanta with Josh Smith in his face, and from what i hear Josh Smith is pretty good @ defense. It is just so hard to guard his shot, and he sure as hell isnt afraid to take the 20 foot jumper every possession. It actually drives me crazy because he shoots these low % shots, but somehow he hits them @ like 50%...

tanat-0s · Post #28 » by **tanat-0s** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:27 am

And don't forget his clutch blocks too.

Yadadimean · Post #29 » by **Yadadimean** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:50 pm

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cIhqRlgXhVM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=am8rOYsjiO8

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8EXDa1j-FPY

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RzkWpr8CFlY
^^^
(right about at the 39 sec mark of the vid...)

Yadadimean · Post #30 » by **Yadadimean** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:53 pm

^^^
His clutch is definitely overblown. There's way more guys with 4 or more clutch plays in a half a season. Just check youtube. lol Lets not even talk about how he manages to always give the Blazers a basket or baskets or blocks or clutch rebounds right when the Blazers need them the most. there's a reason his nickname this year is Mr 4th Quarter.

Papercut · Post #31 » by **Papercut** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:10 pm

NetsForce wrote:The opposing team's best defender never guards him and opposing teams still want him to stand around and shoot jumpers.

Josh Smith

The problem that other teams have yet to recognize though is that Outlaw has significantly improved his jumper and has done a good job of taking advantage of the loose perimeter defense on him...

Just come clean and admit that you've barely seen Outlaw this year. Teams are playing his jumper and forcing him to put it on the floor. The problem is that he just takes a couple of dribbles and then shoots a fadeaway which is 100% unguardable.

The simple solution is just play Outlaw tighter, force him to put the ball on the floor, and just LOL when he turns the ball over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc2vQ7biu94

I really hate always having to be the bringer of reality to these boards but Travis Outlaw's "clutchness" is overblown, and realistically speaking he wouldn't be the go-to guy on any team expecting to make noise in the playoffs.

Right, your post history really shows that you "hate" posting negatively about the Blazers. And let me just express all of us plebs' gratitude that you grace us with "reality," without you us peons would be lost.

Guess what? Outlaw plays for a team expecting to make noise in the playoffs, and on many nights he is their go-to guy in the 4th quarter and at the end of games.

He's a good 2nd or 3rd option in the clutch and he's an excellent guy to set up around the basket for an easy finish but it's not like he's one of the most clutch players in the league...

This is the first half-right thing about your post, in that no, he's not one of the most clutch players in the league. But he is a reliable scorer in crunch time and isn't afraid to take big shots.

High 5 · Post #32 » by **High 5** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:09 pm

The Atlanta game Josh Smith was playing off of him because even though he jumper was falling that game, he would much rather him take the long jump shot. That was a mistake in my opinion. But if Outlaw can every hit his jump shot consistently he's going to be a very dangerous player. Hawks were unfortunate to catch him on a good day. Seems like the only shot he missed was that wide open dunk.

NetsForce · Post #33 » by **NetsForce** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:21 pm

Papercut wrote:Josh Smith

Did you forget to finish your sentence? Here, Hawks fans are going to kill me, but I'll finish it for you: Josh smith is NOT a good man-to-man defender.

Papercut wrote:Just come clean and admit that you've barely seen Outlaw this year. Teams are playing his jumper and forcing him to put it on the floor. The problem is that he just takes a couple of dribbles and then shoots a fadeaway which is 100% unguardable.

Yep... It sure is 100% unguardable... 100% indeed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc2vQ7biu94

Did Travis Outlaw just get half way by stud athletic defender Mike Miller and hit an awkward runner off glass? Man you proved me wrong! Travis Outlaw for MVP!

Right, your post history really shows that you "hate" posting negatively about the Blazers. And let me just express all of us plebs' gratitude that you grace us with "reality," without you us peons would be lost.

Just because I don't think the Portland Trailblazers are one of the top 5 teams in the west doesn't mean I am hater. Also no one is really expecting the Blazers to make noise in the playoffs, well other than Blazers fans. I'm not saying that they can't, but where you got that the Blazers are a team people are expecting to do something in the playoffs is beyond me...

High 5 · Post #34 » by **High 5** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:47 am

NetsForce wrote:Josh smith is NOT a good man-to-man defender...

...in your terribly misguided opinion. Stop living in the past. :wink:

Ballings7 · Post #35 » by **Ballings7** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:44 am

Outlaw's had 9 20+ point games, and five within 20 off the bench. Didn't realize that, and shows even more how he's elevated his game, and isn't an average player.

Aside from the Hawks and Memphis GW shots, he had 5 of the last 8 points for Portland at Miami.

Post #36 » by **BrooklynBulls** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:44 pm

IMO, its because he's got 2 ridiculous go-to moves. He's got a real fadeaway. I call it a real fadeaway b/c some guys slightly fade back while shooting. Travis Outlaw flies four feet back and jumps 30 inches into the air. Its not a very blockable shot, and he's had it on speeddial recently. That and his step-back jumper. He has such a quick first step, and sidestep, that defenders simply don't have time to recover. Its sort of like Carmelo's jabstep J. You know its coming, you just can't stop it.

Netsforce, Outlaw isn't the player anymore you think he is. If you get up on him, he'll blow by you and take the same jumper except closer. I've seen it done a number of times.

There are a lot of ways to still criticize Outlaw. His defense at PF is poor b/c of his very poor strength. He STILL doesn't cut and penetrate as much as he could. He turns it over needlessly sometimes. But having 2 goto moves in the clutch is something a lot of non-star players can't boast.

bballin · Post #37 » by **bballin** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:30 pm

Portland has had patience with their young players and Outlaw is one of them, he was always a freakishly gifted athlete with skill and it was only a matter of time before it all came together.

Most NBA fans do not understand the development part of the game, they prefer to be hyperbole and if a player isnt MJ in year one or two they want to toss them under the bus but as is the case in history, if you give a skilled atheltically gifted player time to get his game together you will be rewarded.