NLL Clutch Kings: Money Ballers 2.0
#1 Blaze Riorden, Philadelphia Wings (Photo: Hannah Snyder)
For many years, I used to publish a weekly article at Inside Lacrosse called Money Ballers. I did it once for the original LAXMAG way back too.
Money Ballers was a weighted point system that looked at game-trying, go-ahead and game-winning goals scored by National Lacrosse League players (also used to calculate it for Junior ‘A’ lacrosse in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario). The system also further examined what period the points were being scored. The further into a game those specific types of goals went in, the more points they were worth in Money Ballers.
The NLL’s regular-scoring charts tell you who the league’s best bulk point producers are. Money Ballers attempted to anoint the game’s greatest clutch scorer with a specific season.
The Lax Mag is bringing Money Ballers back, well, more of a Money Ballers 2.0…
TLM Clutch Kings. We’re starting with the 2021/22 NLL regular season.
#2 Connor Kearnan, New York Riptide (Photo: Spencer Kagan)
We’ve dropped any points for assists. No offense to the set-up stars, but we want to know who should have the ball in their twig when a goal matters most. Plus, as is often and even recently pointed out, those secondary (usually at home) helpers can be suspect.
We’ll still be tracking game-tying, go-ahead and game-winning goals, and weighing them based on when they’re scored, but now also factoring in what type of finish it is: even-strength, power-play or short-handed goals.
Power-play goals are worth less, because with an extra man on the floor, theoretically, it should be easier to score (although sure some coaches would say differently based on their special-teams stats). Assume that’s why we call them power-play “advantages”. Shorties are worth more, because with one or fewer on the floor, they’re definitely a more difficult goal to drop. We also won’t be counting ice-breaker goals, because the first goal of the game, even though technically it’s pushing your team ahead, doesn’t really give a clutch vibe when it goes in. A game’s first goal a few minutes in definitely doesn’t feel money, ever.
For those interested, after we list the Top 20ish below (we’ll expand as the season goes on and more CKs points are produced), there will be a points breakdown right after. There are 21 different types of Clutch Kings goals that can be scored in a game. In the Top 20ish, we’ll include how many game-tying (GTG), go-ahead (GAG) and game-winning (GWG) goals a player has produced, but there just ain’t enough room for more than that (what period or even/special goals).
Again, like we did with the first instalment with the NLL Player Rankings, we went heavy on the how, but will get way more player focussed in future weeks.
With that said, let’s use Blaze Riorden being #1 this week as an example of what type of players the Clutch Kings identifies. Riorden’s 6 goals so far this year have him ranked 32nd overall in the NLL, tied with 16 other players in fact.
Yet, Riorden is our #1 ranked Clutch King. Why?
Of his 6 goals for the Philadelphia Wings, four registered in our clutch countdown. Three of them put the Wings ahead, one of which happened in the fourth quarter. Plus, he popped that OT winner against the Georgia Swarm too. Clearly, Riorden has been beyond clutch for the Wings this year, who have two critical games coming up in Week 8 (Rochester & New York).
Will their success hinge on Riorden’s heroics again?
NLL Clutch Kings: Week 7
CKs Rank. Player (NLL Rank), Team, CKs Points (GTG/GAG/GWG)
1. Blaze Riorden (T32), Philadelphia - 11.25 (0/3/1)
2. Connor Kearnan (T3), New York - 9.50 (5/1/0)
T3. Austin Staats (T17), San Diego - 9.00 (2/2/1)
T3. Dan Dawson (T61), Toronto - 9.00 (1/1/1)
T3. Lyle Thompson (2), Georgia - 9.00 (4/0/1)
T3. Patrick Dodds (T27), Panther City - 9.00 (2/0/1)
T3. Stephan Leblanc (T74), Halifax - 9.00 (0/1/1)
8. Dane Dobbie (1), San Diego - 8.25 (2/2/1)
T9. Matt Rambo (T10), Philadelphia - 8.00 (1/1/1)
T9. Wes Berg (T3), San Diego - 8.00 (0/4/1)
T11. Andrew Kew (T10), Albany - 7.50 (2/3/0)
T11. Ben McIntosh (T17), Philadelphia - 7.50 (0/3/0)
T11. Josh Byrne (T7), Buffalo - 7.50 (0/4/0)
T11. Thomas Hoggarth (T61), Rochester - 7.50 (0/1/1)
15. Robert Church (6), Saskatchewan - 7.25 (3/2/1)
16. Zed Williams (T74), Colorado - 7.00 (1/1/0)
17. Sam LeClair (T32), Colorado - 6.50 (1/1/1)
Several tied with 6.00 points
Scoring System
First 3 Quarters (GTG/GAG/GWG)
Even-Strength Goal: 1.00/1.50/2.00
Power-Play Goal: 0.50/0.75/1.00
Short-Handed Goal: 2.00/3.00/4.00
Fourth Quarter (GTG/GAG/GWG)
Even-Strength Goal: 2.00/3.00/4.00
Power-Play Goal: 1.00/1.50/2.00
Short-Handed Goal: 4.00/6.00/8.00
Overtime (GWG)
Even-Strength Goal: 6.00
Power-Play Goal: 3.00
Short-Handed Goal: 12.00