The Timberwolves Were One of the Least Clutch Teams Last Year; Jimmy Butler Was One of the Most Clutch Players in the NBA
By Jason McIntyre
Fun with advanced stats!
Fact: Jimmy Butler was one of the most clutch players in the NBA last season, scoring 163 points in the clutch (7th), while shooting 45 percent on said shots, which was better than Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry.
Fact: The Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the worst teams in the clutch last year, ranking 28th in winning percentage, and near the bottom in field goal percentage and turnovers.
If you’re looking for the definition of clutch: The last five minutes of regulation and overtime when the game is within five points.
This isn’t a news flash, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are now going to be really good thanks to Butler. They’ve basically got a two-year window to make a run in the West before Butler becomes a free agent and goes in for one last huge payday.
It’ll be a fascinating mix in that locker room: A veteran who has never won anything (26-year old Ricky Rubio), two Top 25 players who also have won nothing (22-year old Andrew Wiggins and 21-year old Karl Anthony-Towns) and we’ll see what they can do in free agency. The only player over the age of 30 on the Timberwolves? Brandon Rush, who won a ring with the Warriors (but didn’t play any Finals minutes), who is 31-years old.