Craw's Best Play?

[benhillboy]

Awesome game tonight, great team win all around. But this Crawford fellow. He combines two unbelievable moves in one play. Head-spinning dribbles followed by Gervin-esque, ballet finishes. His scoops leave the defense dumbfounded. He fits through creases like plastic man. Does anyone else see a slight hint of Kobe in his game? His seemingly random routes and steps to get to his spot are actually well-calculated and executed to perfection, as he clearly does great scouting work on his defenders. Uses his jumper to open up his drive very well. He negotiates centimeters of space and split seconds with such precision and has an heir of brashness similar to Kobe, without bitching at every non-call. Takes his contested jumpers with such conviction: he doesn't even sense the defender once he's elevated. It's just him and the front of the rim. His high level of learned offensive skill is matched by his natural talent for creation. Can absorb and adjust to contact as well as any skinny guy I've seen. He has a future as a magician because he at least has caused me to doubt my eyes about 30 times this year. A lot of times, the home crowd can't cheer on time because they're looking at each other in awe like "did he just do that?"

I love Josh and Al like cooked food, but CrawDawg is the only player who I could grade A+ this season. He has left nothing on the floor offensively while playing as good of defense as a coach can ask from a skinny dude who has never been asked or expected to play defense.

What's the boards' favorite play from our assassin? I'll never forget a three he took against Sacramento. I think it was Evans (who outsizes Craw by an inch and 20 pounds) who had him pinned in the right corner with absolutely no airspace. Just getting his hands up to signal a timeout would've been a great play. What does this fool do? Adjusts his entire shot, hitting Evans in his chest and chin on his follow-through and releases a bomb that scorches the net, no rim whatsoever. After that play, I knew he would be doing some wild things this season. I feel sorry for NBA fans who haven't seen as much of him as they should've. I was in the dark for years while he languished on bad teams, but now I see the light. I don't think you can write a history of the game without mentioning his name once for his offensive exploits. He can get his shot off against the toughest perimeter defender, has dropped 50 in various situations, and is the master of the extremely rare 4-point play.

Early congratulations to 'Mal on reaching the playoffs. I'm sure they'll be no butterflies and he'll continue to go at the opponents' neck, and get you out your seat doing it.

Edited March 22, 2010 by benhillboy

[FrankWhite]

I wish Jamal would've participated in the All Star break HORSE competition because the circus ish he puts up and hits could not be duplicated.

[Joker]

Benhillboy, I really like the way you write. You should start a blog on the Hawks.

[hawkman]

Kobe-esque is exactly how I would describe his game on the offensive end. I loved the way he played the two games JJ was out. I think he looks so much better this season because he has a MUCH better team around him compared to some of the garbage teams he's played for in the past.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Crawford is simply a fearless offensive player. We're going to need him to really play well in the playoffs, to make some noise.

It's funny though that this thread is made not when he went 32 - 51 FG in the games early last week . . but after he goes 12 - 36 FG in his last 2 games ( including being only 3 - 15 FG combined in the 2nd half of both games )

He's having a fabulous March though. His most productive month as a Hawk so far.

[AHawks89]

Can anyone link a video to his major cross overs and shake & bake moves as a Atlanta Hawk? I love watching this dude play. He makes someone looks dumb, then just drains it to finish it.