Pro: The Clutch Gene
Some may oppose this belief, but some players are confident and comfortable in the clutch, and others shrink in the moment. It’s as much a case of psychological evaluation as it is an evaluation of basketball proficiency.
The New York Knicks have a hungry young star in Kristaps Porzingis, but adding Dion Waiters would mean adding a player who has proven to be clutch.
As the videos throughout this slideshow display, Waiters stepped up with game-winning and game-sealing shots on a rather consistent basis. That includes clutch shots against the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors.
Waiters’ clutch field goal percentage is admittedly lower than one might expect it to be, but he’s a fearless player who thinks he’s ready for the big moments
Under head coach Jeff Hornacek, Waiters could hone the skills that would make him a truly effective clutch player. Waiters has a comparable skill set to Goran Dragic, whom coach Hornacek helped evolve into an All-NBA player.
We’ll touch on that further, but in the clutch, Waiters has the fearlessness that’s often missing from players in big moments.