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This video shows that Jordan made alot of threes in the clutch. Haven't seen any numbers but likely his percentage was far higher in the clutch.




One of the defining characteristics of greatness in basketball is performing under pressure. Does anyone know where such information for last few seconds of quarters is at?

Its at NBA.com, Stats, Player Stats, Clutch.

Not an expert on this at all so don't take my word for it but wasn't it pretty normal for 3s to mainly become a factor in clutch moments when the game was close and every extra point could swing the result? MJ being a good clutch player isn't really much of a mystery but I wonder if this uptick in important moment 3s wasn't just a product of the time. Is MJ an outlier in this or can we spot similar patterns for contemporaries like Drexler and Reggie Miller?

Given the reaction in some of these plays they weren't all at the end of the 4th quarter

Jordan 3pt clutch stats from NBA.com

1997: 3-16 in RS, 1-4 in PO
1998: 1-11 in RS, 1-6 in PO
2002: 1-3 in RS
2003: 1-5 in RS

Total: 8-45 from 3 (17.8%)

LA Bird wrote:Jordan 3pt clutch stats from NBA.com

1997: 3-16 in RS, 1-4 in PO
1998: 1-11 in RS, 1-6 in PO
2002: 1-3 in RS
2003: 1-5 in RS

Total: 8-45 from 3 (17.8%)

There were a heap of near end of quarter threes in the video. Clutch may not be defined as that, likely end of game but it'd be interesting to see his percentages of near end of quarter threes.

migya wrote:

LA Bird wrote:Jordan 3pt clutch stats from NBA.com

1997: 3-16 in RS, 1-4 in PO
1998: 1-11 in RS, 1-6 in PO
2002: 1-3 in RS
2003: 1-5 in RS

Total: 8-45 from 3 (17.8%)

There were a heap of near end of quarter threes in the video. Clutch may not be defined as that, likely end of game but it'd be interesting to see his percentages of near end of quarter threes.

You can find it there too.

My assumptions on the video (I haven't watched it)
1) It only shows makes.
2) It does not come with a tight definition of "clutch".
Let me know if I'm wrong.

Both, but especially the former would make it useless to draw conclusions from.


Worth noting at this point - whilst it doesn't change what baskets were worth at the time etc - Jordan's best numbers and disproportionate volume (arguably distorting, certainly altering his career numbers) came in the shortened line era (3 years 95-97).

Regardless, this is the sort of thing which you really need numbers for. Not that they're necessarily sufficient (context e.g. heaves, is important though this can be quantified too, to an extent and there may be insufficient data to draw strong conclusions, and people will define clutch differently which makes definition clarity important) ... but if you're a big enough star and shot enough (especially if there are iconic shots) the memorable makes can get locked into our minds and we imagine they never missed.

migya wrote:This video shows that Jordan made alot of threes in the clutch. Haven't seen any numbers but likely his percentage was far higher in the clutch.

One of the defining characteristics of greatness in basketball is performing under pressure. Does anyone know where such information for last few seconds of quarters is at?

I remember Kerr and Paxon hitting the key clutch 3's after Jordan drew their defenders' attention but as Owly says, one or two makes get stuck in my memory as if it were a regular thing.

What might be true, again, no statistical backup for this, is MJ tended to hero ball in the clutch moments and would take a shot that in normal time he might pass to a teammate looking for a better one so he might have shot MORE 3's in the clutch than he would normally take.

migya wrote:This video shows that Jordan made alot of threes in the clutch. Haven't seen any numbers but likely his percentage was far higher in the clutch.

One of the defining characteristics of greatness in basketball is performing under pressure. Does anyone know where such information for last few seconds of quarters is at?

1996-1997 through 1997-1998, including playoffs:

Criteria:
-Last 5 minutes of 4th quarter or overtime
-Score -5 to +5
-Minimum 25 three pointers attempted

3 point percentages:
Reggie Miller: 41 for 97 (.423)
Stockton: 15 for 36 (.417)
Payton: 13 for 25 (.361)
Dumars: 18 for 57 (.316)
Jordan: 6 for 37 (.162)

Among all players with these criteria, the average 3 point percentage was .314. Jordan is tied for LAST, T-54th, at .162.

If you have another objective definition of clutch shooting, fire away, I'll run the numbers.

penbeast0 wrote:What might be true, again, no statistical backup for this, is MJ tended to hero ball in the clutch moments and would take a shot that in normal time he might pass to a teammate looking for a better one so he might have shot MORE 3's in the clutch than he would normally take.

What's your operational definition of clutch shooting?

Jordan's eFG% using the criteria I used in the previous post was .441. 123 for 286. Tied with Joe Dumars for 23rd among all players with 100 FGA.

If you change the criteria to include only players who had 30 or more 3PA and 100 or more FGA:

Notables:
Stockton: .519
Miller: .510
Payton: .484
Dumars: .441
Jordan: .441
Ellis: .390
Drexler: .383

Of note: Jordan had 286 shots with 5 mins or less and the point margin 5 or less in 4th quarters and overtimes those two years. Nobody else took more than 197!!! (Reggie Miller). That's a chasm of difference.

I have never seen any objective, statistical case made that Jordan was either:
-A great three point shooter, or even a good one.
-An incredible clutch shooter.

The highlight films will not tell us the truth in these cases, because, as you said, they don't show tons and tons of missed clutch shots.

We need to set criteria/parameters, and then, we need all the data!!

My recollection was MJ very rarely trying to take clutch 3 pters because he knew he was terrible at them. If his teams needed a clutch 3 they'd usually find a way to set up Hodges or Armstrong or Paxson or Kerr.