Hollinger on Crawford / Larry Brown loves Crawford.

[jerrywest]

Hollinger report on Crawford:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/hollinger?playerId=165&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fplayers%2fhollinger%3fplayerId%3d165

He had PER about 15 for 6 straight season playing with terrible teams and teammates. How will it change when he won't be double teamed and won't have a green light to shoot all the time?

"Scouting report: While Crawford has seemed strangely immune to the circus going on around him, he is a sign of the Knicks' malaise. He's a shoot-first guard with poor shot selection who tends to dribble up the court and launch a quick jumper without any passes, and he's an incredibly soft defender who rarely stops penetration or helps.

What he can do is score, at times getting crazy hot from outside. He has a nice crossover move that he can use to set up his midrange J, and at 6-5 he can rise up and get his shot over most defenders. This also makes him useful in last shot situations, where he can dribble the clock down and get a decent look right before the buzzer. Crawford has good speed and quickness and is an effective scorer in transition, and while he has terrible instincts as a passer, one thing he does seem to do well is throw the alley-oop to Eddy Curry. "

--------------------------

box score: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=260405018

Check the game recap at:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260405018

the Knicks snapped their nine-game losing streak and ended Cleveland's winning streak at nine.

Before the game, Knicks coach Larry Brown said some of his players have stopped trying, and stopped listening to him. But he had only praise after the game for Crawford.

"He is the most improved I think player I've ever coached," Brown said. "He does things for our team to please me to a fault."

--------------------------------------------------

Crawford has played in so many aweful teams that its hard not to feel sorry for the guy. He came into the league as a teenager and promptly lost 83 of his first 100 games. It didn't stop there. He kept getting traded from lousy team to lousy teams and played with just about every loser in the NBA. Hope he doesn't have any brain damage mingling with so many terrible teammates.

[benhillboy]

Sorry Jerry, but losing for that long will have a profound affect on him. Hopefully he doesn't contaminate our locker room. As for Larry Brown's praise, it seems like smoke to me. There's no way he would take a liking to a defender as poor.

For once, Hollinger is dead on with his analysis of a player. I'm still waiting for him to come up with a Defensive PER matrix that would ban Steve Nash from the league and void his MVP awards.

Edited August 27, 2009 by benhillboy

[Duff_Man]

Sorry Jerry, but losing for that long will have a profound affect on him. Hopefully he doesn't contaminate our locker room. As for Larry Brown's praise, it seems like smoke to me. There's no way he would take a liking to a defender as poor.

For once, Hollinger is dead on with his analysis of a player. I'm still waiting for him to come up with a Defensive PER matrix that would ban Steve Nash from the league and void his MVP awards.

Why in the world would you want to ban one of the greatest PGs of all time?

[benhillboy]

Why in the world would you want to ban one of the greatest PGs of all time?

One of the Greatest of All-Time? Isiah would laugh, then punch you. Last time I checked, PGs have a man to guard also. It just so happens that Nash has never done this. This is full-court ball we're talking right? His defense, or lack thereof, is only exploited to the highest degree, leading to embarrassing losses against scoring points who salivate at his presence in front of them, and often go on to have career games at his expense. Offense fills seats, Defense wins championships my boy. Just ask all the frontcourt players who racked up fouls because Nash's man had a straight sprint to the cup.

Edited August 27, 2009 by benhillboy

[Duff_Man]

One of the Greatest of All-Time? Isiah would laugh, then punch you. Last time I checked, PGs have a man to guard also. It just so happens that Nash has never done this. This is full-court ball we're talking right? His defense, or lack thereof, is only exploited to the highest degree, leading to embarrassing losses against scoring points who salivate at his presence in front of them, and often go on to have career games at his expense. Offense fills seats, Defense wins championships my boy. Just ask all the frontcourt players who racked up fouls because Nash's man had a straight sprint to the cup.

Dominique is going to be pissed when he gets banned then. So is almost every player in the 1980s.

[DrReality]

I love a good dark horse. Hope he come on with a vengence.

[jy23]

Why in the world would you want to ban one of the greatest PGs of all time?

ONE OF THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME? :laughing5: Are you kidding me? One of the greatest pgs of all time never even sniffed the finals ONCE? Wow, we have really polluted this word great because this guy doesn't belong anywhere near that distinction! :slap1:

This guy has never heard of the word defense, he was a very good offensive player but I would also contribute alot of that to the team that he was on. I think I could have played for the suns and got 8 dimes per. He got burned game after game after game by EVERY point in the league. His stats were meaningless and his MVP trophieS should be given away to charity. This guy has 2 MVPs, 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This just goes to show how bad the league was searching for a superstar at that time because that's just retarded!

[AtLaS]

Not sure how this thread turned into a Steve Nash bashfest, but it's ridiculous.

Under the new rules that ban the hand check, it's extremely difficult to defend PGs, especially quick ones. It is why good PG defenders don't exist anymore. Gary Payton certainly wouldn't be the Glove, or anything close to it under today's NBA rules.

Sure, Nash isn't a good defender, but who is? Rondo is considered one of the best yet there are many Boston fans who criticize his defense, and Rose killed him in the playoffs. The new rules just don't allow it.

[EazyRoc]

Steve Nash is no where near one of the greatest PGs of all time, at all.

He's no where near a Magic Johnson or a John Stockton, and probably won't make the Hall of Fame despite winning the MVP award twice.

[coachx]

Sorry Jerry, but losing for that long will have a profound affect on him. Hopefully he doesn't contaminate our locker room. As for Larry Brown's praise, it seems like smoke to me. There's no way he would take a liking to a defender as poor.

For once, Hollinger is dead on with his analysis of a player. I'm still waiting for him to come up with a Defensive PER matrix that would ban Steve Nash from the league and void his MVP awards.

Have you ever heard Crawford in an interview ? He is extremely mature, humble, and smart. He shocked me with his level of maturity in the multiple interviews I have heard with him since joining the Hawks. I don't think he will be a problem in the locker room at all.

He played on some horrible Bulls and Knicks teams that never had a shot at winning. Those Bulls teams after Jordan and Pippen were just awful and the Knicks were even more pathetic with that hole I. Thomas dug for the organization.

I'll give him an honest shot to come in and help the team before I write the guy off a loser.

Edited August 27, 2009 by coachx

[WraithSentinel]

From all reports I have heard. Crawford is a great locker room guy and has a great attitude.

[Crank]

Sorry Jerry, but losing for that long will have a profound affect on him. Hopefully he doesn't contaminate our locker room. As for Larry Brown's praise, it seems like smoke to me. There's no way he would take a liking to a defender as poor.

For once, Hollinger is dead on with his analysis of a player. I'm still waiting for him to come up with a Defensive PER matrix that would ban Steve Nash from the league and void his MVP awards.

contaminate the locker room ? Jamal Crawford ? Those larry brown comments are pretty telling its pretty high praise coming from him . I posted an article awhile back in which Nelson said similar things in terms of how he wanted the team to share the ball more so Crawford was passing up shots top get others involved and they ended up begging him to shoot more.

I think Crawford is fine with a good team defense like Brown stresses but a team like the Warriors he would look horrible because Don nelson switches everything even guards and centers in hopes of creating that mismatch.