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This topic isn't current-Rocket related, but it does have to do with former Rocket Kevin Martin. I read an article today detailing the Timberwolves' difficulty in the clutch (fun stat - they have been outscored by double in the last minute of 3 points or less games, resulting in a 7-18 record in these situations).
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN looked back at some of the worst teams in these situations and found a common thread: Kevin Martin:
"But that was before the All-Star break when I ran those numbers. Chew on this one: Of the seven worst teams in superclutch plus-minus since 1997, four of them employed Martin.
...
But ever since he became a go-to scorer in 2006-07, Martin's teams have been outscored by a staggering 37 points every 48 minutes with him on the floor in these clutch situations. A total of 99 players have seen at least 100 superclutch minutes over that time, and no one has fared worse on the scoreboard than Martin."
(By the way, the four teams were the 06-07 Kings, 08-09 Kings, this year's MIN team, and the 10-11 Rockets).
This isn't a surprise who watched the Rockets during the "Kevin Martin" years. We all know how bad he is on defense, and how much he struggled to score when the refs swallowed their whistles. I think I've seen some of this from Harden too, but not nearly to Martin's extreme, and he plays better defense in the last minute because he focuses better.
Just remember - we traded one year of him (and others) for Harden. Reason #897 why Morey destroyed Presti in that trade.
Edited by majik19, 14 April 2014 - 04:58 PM.
