Jamal Crawford has arrived

[Sħãlïq™]

In 2007-08, he scored a career-high 20.6 points per game but many came on isolation plays that stunted the already ragged Knicks offense. Just 41 percent of his shots were assisted and Crawford's big numbers rarely translated to wins. In Atlanta. he reinvented himself by coming off the bench and becoming one of the league's most dangerous subs, ultimately winning Sixth Man Award in 2010.

Now in Los Angeles, Crawford is playing something of a hybrid of his New York and Atlanta roles. He's the first man off the bench but is expected to contribute heavily as a fourth-quarter closer and take big shots when needed. It's a role tailor-made for his shake-and-bake, quick-release skill set. And he has delivered admirably. Among players with 15 or more games, he ranks third in fourth-quarter scoring average (6.6), behind Bryant (7.9) and Durant (7.4), and ahead of Carmelo Anthony (5). Highly regarded closer Paul ranks just 59th with 3.6. This season, in a more controlled offensive structure, his looks come within the flow of the offense and ultimately do more damage. Last season he registered just 16 20-point games. He already has 13. The Clippers are 10-3 in those games.

 

While head coach Vinny Del Negro has shrewdly started the unspectacular but steady Willie Green at shooting guard, Crawford is called upon to do the heavy lifting when it actually counts. Crawford ranks No. 1 in the NBA in fourth-quarter minutes and has been on the floor in the closing minutes of virtually every close game this season. Unlike some of Crawford's past coaches, Del Negro has encouraged Crawford to exploit his ability to create shots with the dribble when he's on the floor with the second unit. "Sometimes I'll look over to the bench and he'll just tell me to go," explains Crawford. All in all, his coaches and teammates have conspired to put him in as comfortable a situation as possible. "I've always been a natural scorer, so this role works with my mentality," he says.

 

He fits like a glove

Get in where you fit in. Crawford has tried to do that with varying success in his NBA career. Even when he put up quality numbers, the teams he played on sometimes lacked chemistry and balance. In a few stops along the way, his style of play simply didn't fit. In basketball parlance "fit" is a close cousin of "role." They normally go hand in hand; one generally can't exist without the other.

 

General managers will tell you fit is almost as essential to success as talent is. Coaches want players who fit into their system and fit well with players around them. Many a player has had his fortunes determined by how well he fit in with the team that drafted, traded for or acquired him through free agency. Despite his explosive ability to score in numerous situations, Crawford never quite fit as a go-to-first option and now takes comfort in the fact that playing alongside two All-Stars has drawn defensive attention away from him, allowing him to score in bunches without dominating. But more important, it has given Crawford a better appreciation for the shots he's getting.

 

"I don't think I need the freedom to shoot 20 shots a game," he explains. "I think I need to be in an environment where I'm getting 12-13 shots. It forces you to be more efficient because your touches are limited. Now for me each touch is more valuable." With the Clippers he has plugged in beautifully among a collection of experienced veterans, young athletes, a blossoming star forward and the game's best point guard. All this has led Crawford to lose his tendency to force the action and put up shots when a quality look doesn't exist. "When you're surrounded by so much talent, you feel like you don't have to force things," he says. "I feel so much more relaxed, like I can just go out and play."

 

A game built to endure (...)

INSIDER

 

PM me if you want the full story.