The Sixer Sense
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How is 76ers’ Joel Embiid NOT a finalist for NBA Clutch Player of the Year?

By Justin DiVirgilio

Apr 6, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) is defended by Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) is defended by Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

De’Aaron Fox’s case for NBA Clutch Player of the Year

Fox, a first-time All-Star this season, has made an incredible leap, including more success with the ball in his hands in close games. This season the speedy, athletic Kings guard has been the absolute man when it comes to scoring in the last five minutes of games when the score is within five minutes or less. Fox is averaging five points, which is an NBA best.

De’Aaron Fox is a dynamic guard that is quite literally one of the toughest isolation players in the NBA because of his blazing speed, first-step, leaping ability, finishing at the rim or from the mid-range, or finding his teammates. The 25-year-old guard is shooting 52.9 percent from inside the arc and 86 percent from the free-throw line. Fox has played in 39 games that align with the criteria for clutch stats. The Kings were 22-17 in those games and Fox’s plus-minus is +0.6.

Fox will get off 3.5 attempts per game in the 4.1 minutes of clutch time he plays on average. The most out of this group of players. A tough feat especially since the defense of any team is keying on Fox to slow him down, make him uncomfortable, or make questionable decisions. Fox’s bread-and-butter is surveying and knifing around pick-and-rolls as well as getting inside the painted area. His Olympic-level sprinter speed combined with hand-eye coordination for off-hand or off-foot finishes makes him such a clutch player this season. The pressure Fox puts on defenses gets them on their heels because he has such a quick twitch step on top of his speed. At the beginning of his prime, Fox presented a rock-solid case to be a finalist for the award.