Who has the "Clutch Gene" in The NBA?

      One of the most defining traits of  "Legends" in any sport is the ability to perform under pressure. That trait is simply called being "clutch". Now when you think of being clutch most likely you think of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. These two players are generally known as two of the greatest players when the game is on the line. I will take a look at the leagues premier players in "Clutch Time" since the 2008-2009 season.
      According to 82games.com "Clutch" is defined as 4th quarter or overtime less than 5 minutes left neither team ahead by more than five points. With that definition they compiled a handful of players' stats and averaged them out per 48 minutes.
      Kobe Bryant is considered to be the league's premier clutch player and while that may have been true a couple years ago I don't think it's true anymore.Since 2008 Kobe Bryant has averaged 56.1 points(08-09), 51.2 points(09-10),49.8 points(10-11) and 36.3 points(11-12) per 48 minutes in clutch time.Now the 2008-2011 stats are quite impressive there was a huge drop off in production this year(13.5 pts). His FG% has always been an issue since he takes so many shots. Among all players with at least 20 FGA per 48 minutes he had the 6th worst FG% in the league(.327). Now when evaluating players in "Clutch Time" it's important to take all stats into account all stats. Heres Kobe's full stat line from 82games.com: 36.3 Points, 7.8 Rebs and 6.8 Asts. Here are his Shooting Splits: .327 FG%, .214 3PT% and 80% FT. Now I'm no expert but those shooting splits seem average at best to me for a guy who's considered to be "cold-blooded". The point I'm trying to make is I think age has finally caught up with the Black Mamba and he's not the same clutch player people make him out to be.
       I'm now going to delve deep into the stats of the most scrutinized player in the league, Lebron James.
Ever since that dreadful playoff series against Boston in 2010 Lebron has been labeled as a "choker". Last season his stats were surprisingly closely similar to the stats of Kobe Bryant. Here is his full stat line: 33.2 Points,15.1 Rebs and 9.3 Asts. Now before you criticize his points average keep in mind two of his teammates are averaging 25 pts in clutch time. His stat line seems very proficient especially the Rebounds. his 15.1 Rebounds are good for 14th in the league which isn't surprising since he spent a lot of last year playing the PF position. His 9.3 Asts are the highest for a non-Point Guard which is again not surprising. Now here's where I get critical of him. His shooting splits are as equally as disappointing as Kobe's. Here they are: .386 FG%, .273 3PT FG% and a putrid 68% on FTs. What I find most surprising is that he's only 13th in FGAs per 48 minutes. Most Lebron critics are quick to point out that he won't take the last shot but for the past 3 years he's been in the the top 15 in FGAs, leading the league in 2009-10(41 FGAs). In 2009-10 Lebron was easily the best player in Clutch Time. He averaged a whopping 66.1 points(15 more than Kobe),15.9 Rebs and 8.3 Asts.
         We tend to generalize "clutch players" as guys who score the ball frequently in pressure situations. However I tend to think of "clutch players" as players who make the right play at the right time. Here are some players who I deem to be clutch but may not be seen the same way in the public eye. Rajon Rondo for the past two season has averaged 10.3 Asts and 12.8 Asts per 48 minutes in Clutch Time. Last season he was the only player averaging at least 10 Asts that didn't the ball over more than 5 times per 48 minutes(He averaged 2.4). This is one of the most surprising stat not because I didn't already know rondo could take care of the ball but that there was such a disparity between him and another great passer, Steve Nash. Nash who is usually known for his excellent playmaking skills struggled to take care of the ball averaging a staggering 8.1 TOs per 48 minutes. Rondo also happens to be the only player in the league averaging a triple double per 48 minutes.Another trait that is lost in the mix with "Clutch Play" is the defensive side of the ball. When I talk about defense I take Rebounds,Blocks and Steals in to account. Serge Ibaka averaged 19.1 Rebs, and 5.6 Blks per 48 minutes. Not surprising for the leagues leading shot-blocker. His rebounds are what really surprises me. Ibaka has never averaged more than 7 rebs per game in his short career but it seems he gobbles up more rebounds when the game is on the line. Here are some cool stats I found while exploring this site: Kyrie Irving in his rookie year averaged a whopping 56.4(led the league) points per 48 minutes, Paul Pierce is the 2nd best 3pt shooter(60%) with at least 5 3pt FGA per 48 minutes and. Warriors' SG Klay Thompson led the league in steals per 48 minutes with 4.8 steals