Metis

Metis is the ability to seize the moment. To me metis is when you look at an athlete and say he is a clutch player. It is an intangible quality that is almost impossible to back up with statistics, and yet there is little debate over when a play is clutch or if a player can be considered to be clutch. The argument was raised as to if there is such a thing as metis, or if the “clutchness” is a product of the practice and all other factors. I say that metis is defiantly another tool; you can be the greatest player ever but may be unable to finish the big game. You can see examples of it in all sports. LeBron James is one of the best players in the NBA right now, but I would not consider him to be clutch. He can carry a team to the point where they can win the game, but he has his moments where he doesn’t seem able to finish it off. Jason Terry on the other hand is not a household name. He is a good guard and a solid player but probably will never be an all-star. However, I have seen him hit big shot after big shot. Recently he had a game where he had gone 1 for 8 with 4 points prior to the 4th quarter. But with the game tied and 5 seconds left he buries the 15 foot jump shot to win it. Even when he has a bad game he steps up at the time and seizes the moment. Metis is a skill that cannot be learned, the ability to know you can make the big shot, the clutch play and finish the game no matter what.