These are the MOST clutch players in the NBA
- Portland Trail Blazers’ Deandre Ayton ranks as the most clutch NBA player, scoring 58.82% of all attempted field goals in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.
- Bam Adebayo and Zion Williamson rank second and third, scoring 55.73% and 54.63% of all clutch field goals, respectively
- Analysis of NBA data reveals the most clutch basketball players.
A new study has revealed most clutch NBA players in the league.
Sports betting site FlashPicks analyzed NBA season and playoff data from 2020 to the present season. They looked at which players had attempted at least 100 combined field goals within the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, where fewer than just five points separated both teams, to find which just which players are the most clutch in the league
In first place is Portland Trail Blazers’ Deandre Ayton, who managed to score 58.82% of all field goals attempted in the final five minutes of the last quarter of games. Of the total 119 field goals attempted in the last five minutes of the last quarters, he successfully managed 70 of these.
In second place is Bam Adebayo. The Miami Heat center has successfully managed 55.73% of all field goals attempted in the last five minutes of the last quarters, working out to 73 successful field goal attempts out of a total of 131
Third place goes to New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, who successfully made 54.63% of all attempted field goals in the final five minutes of the last quarter of games. With just 59 field goals successfully made in the specific timeframe, Williamson has the lowest number of successful shots of any player in the top ten. However, due to only attempting 108 field goals in the dying minutes of games, the field goal attempt success ratio cements him firmly in third place.
In fourth place is the Lithuanian-American Power Forward/Center for the Sacramento Kings, Domantas Sabonis. Successfully making 67 of a total 130 field goals attempted in the final five minutes of games, Sabonis has a field goal success rate of 51.54%.
Scottie Barnes, Shooting Guard/Small Forward for the Toronto Raptors, ranks in at fifth place, managing to successfully make 51.18% of all attempted field goals within the last five minutes of the final quarter of matches. Of the 127 field goals attempted in the dying minutes of matches, Barnes managed to make 65 of these.
The remainder of the top ten features Giannis Antetokounmpo in at sixth place, with 50.99% of all field goals attempted in the last five minutes of the final quarter being successful.
Seventh place goes to Bradley Beal, with 50.5% of all field goals attempted in the last five minutes of the final quarter being successful. In eighth place is Nikola Jokic, who successfully managed to make 49.84% of all field goals attempted in the last five minutes of the final quarter.
Ninth place goes to Mikal Bridges, who successfully managed to make 49.69% of all field goals attempted in the last five minutes of the final quarter.
Rounding out the list in tenth place is DeMar DeRozan, with 49.21% of all attempted field goals in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter being successful.
Interestingly, DeRozan had both the highest number of field goal attempts (317) as well as the highest number of successful field goal shots (156). However, due to the low number of successful shots in relation to attempts, DeMar DeRozan only manages to secure tenth place on the list.
In terms of teams, the Denver Nuggets were found to be the most clutch team, with 450 of a total of 942 field goals made within the last five minutes of the fourth quarter of matches, with less than five points separating teams being successful – working out to a success rate of 47.77%.
The Detroit Pistons were found to be the least clutch team, with 257 of a total of 672 field goals made within the last five minutes of the fourth quarter of matches, with less than five points separating teams being successful – working out to a success rate of 38.24%.
The top 10 most clutch NBA players
| Rank | Player | Successful field goal attempts | Total field goals attempted | Total field goal success rate |
| 1. | Deandre Ayton | 70 | 119 | 58.82% |
| 2. | Bam Adebayo | 73 | 131 | 55.73% |
| 3. | Zion Williamson | 59 | 108 | 54.63% |
| 4. | Domantas Sabonis | 67 | 130 | 51.54% |
| 5. | Scottie Barnes | 65 | 127 | 51.18% |
| 6. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 103 | 202 | 50.99% |
| 7. | Bradley Beal | 101 | 200 | 50.50% |
| 8. | Nikola Jokic | 152 | 305 | 49.84% |
| 9. | Mikal Bridges | 80 | 161 | 49.69% |
| 10. | DeMar DeRozan | 156 | 317 | 49.21% |
A spokesperson for Flash Picks commented on the findings, saying:
“Being able to score a field goal is no easy feat, especially with the immense added pressure of thousands of spectators, being in the dying minutes of a game, and with such few points separating the teams. The findings underscore the professionalism and clinical finishing ability of these athletes, with an ability to perform to an extreme standard despite the massive pressure surrounding them.”
“The data is a testament to the training, dedication, and ability of not only the athletes themselves, but the coaches, the training staff, and vigorous training regimes.”
Credit to: https://flashpicks.com/nba/parlays
Source: NBA
Methodology:
Data was taken from the official NBA website for regular seasons and playoffs between the 2020/21 season up until the present, focusing on shots taken in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter of games where less than five points separated teams. Players with less than 100 field goal attempts were omitted from the ranking as to not skew the final rankings. Total field goal attempts were divided by the number of successful field goal attempts, giving a success percentage used to rank players.
The top 25 most clutch NBA players
| Rank | Player | Successful field goal attempts | Total field goals attempted | Total field goal success rate |
| 1. | Deandre Ayton | 70 | 119 | 58.82% |
| 2. | Bam Adebayo | 73 | 131 | 55.73% |
| 3. | Zion Williamson | 59 | 108 | 54.63% |
| 4. | Domantas Sabonis | 67 | 130 | 51.54% |
| 5. | Scottie Barnes | 65 | 127 | 51.18% |
| 6. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 103 | 202 | 50.99% |
| 7. | Bradley Beal | 101 | 200 | 50.50% |
| 8. | Nikola Jokic | 152 | 305 | 49.84% |
| 9. | Mikal Bridges | 80 | 161 | 49.69% |
| 10. | DeMar DeRozan | 156 | 317 | 49.21% |
| 11. | Jalen Brunson | 103 | 211 | 48.82% |
| 12. | Chris Paul | 85 | 175 | 48.57% |
| 13. | Jrue Holiday | 76 | 157 | 48.41% |
| 14. | Coby White | 49 | 103 | 47.57% |
| 15. | De’Aaron Fox | 171 | 361 | 47.37% |
| 16. | Dennis Schroder | 68 | 145 | 46.90% |
| 17. | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 100 | 215 | 46.51% |
| 18. | Kyrie Irving | 96 | 207 | 46.38% |
| 19. | P.J. Washington | 57 | 123 | 46.34% |
| 20. | Tobias Harris | 62 | 134 | 46.27% |
| 21. | Reggie Jackson | 58 | 126 | 46.03% |
| 22. | Kyle Lowry | 57 | 124 | 45.97% |
| 23. | CJ McCollum | 65 | 142 | 45.77% |
| 24. | Lauri Markkanen | 57 | 125 | 45.60% |
| 25. | Tyrese Haliburton | 79 | 174 | 45.40% |