The Los Angeles Lakers just finished their best regular season in a few years. They finished with a 50-32 record, which gave them the third seed in the Western Conference, and they established both their best winning percentage and highest finish since the 2019-20 season, when they last won the NBA championship.
Many feel they have a real shot at winning basketball’s grand prize this summer, primarily because of the tectonic trade on Feb. 1 that gave them Luka Doncic. Doncic isn’t just a generational talent who puts up some of the most prolific numbers anyone has ever seen, but he is also deadly in crunch time and in big games.
He and teammate LeBron James have reportedly been named as candidates for this season’s Clutch Player of the Year award.
The official candidates for Clutch Player of the Year, as chosen by the NBA’s 30 head coaches:
Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Darius Garland, Cavaliers
De’Aaron Fox, Spurs
DeMar DeRozan, Kings
Derrick White, Celtics
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers…— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 15, 2025
James ranked fifth in the NBA with 7.2 fourth-quarter points a game this season, and while Doncic was 42nd in that category, he remains feared by many in the moments that decide winners and losers.
The Slovenian has hit a handful of game-winning and game-clinching shots in his six seasons in the league, and the playoffs tend to be his time. His average of 30.9 points per game in the playoffs is the second-highest in league history behind only Michael Jordan.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Two Lakers players are candidates for Clutch Player of the Year award
The Los Angeles Lakers just finished their best regular season in a few years. They finished with a 50-32 record, which gave them the third seed in the Western Conference, and they established both their best winning percentage and highest finish since the 2019-20 season, when they last won the NBA championship.
Many feel they have a real shot at winning basketball’s grand prize this summer, primarily because of the tectonic trade on Feb. 1 that gave them Luka Doncic. Doncic isn’t just a generational talent who puts up some of the most prolific numbers anyone has ever seen, but he is also deadly in crunch time and in big games.
He and teammate LeBron James have reportedly been named as candidates for this season’s Clutch Player of the Year award.
The official candidates for Clutch Player of the Year, as chosen by the NBA’s 30 head coaches:
Anfernee Simons, Trail Blazers
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Darius Garland, Cavaliers
De’Aaron Fox, Spurs
DeMar DeRozan, Kings
Derrick White, Celtics
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers…— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 15, 2025
James ranked fifth in the NBA with 7.2 fourth-quarter points a game this season, and while Doncic was 42nd in that category, he remains feared by many in the moments that decide winners and losers.
The Slovenian has hit a handful of game-winning and game-clinching shots in his six seasons in the league, and the playoffs tend to be his time. His average of 30.9 points per game in the playoffs is the second-highest in league history behind only Michael Jordan.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Two Lakers players are candidates for Clutch Player of the Year award
