Jamal Crawford News: Pro Sports Daily

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November 20

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"It almost sounded like a novel sensation for the coach. "I feel good about our bench," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "There's times I'm playing five guys off the bench at one time, a whole new lineup." If this was a revelation, it was because a deep bench has not exactly been an advantage Woodson has enjoyed in his six years with the Hawks. Only 12 games into the season, the strength of the Hawks' deepened bench has become an obvious factor in the team's success. At 10-2, the team is off to its best start in 12 years. Said forward Josh Smith, "Having that depth on our bench, it's one of the main reasons we're so successful as a team." The Hawks will attempt to put that depth to use again ..."

Atlanta provides a potential rivalry in the making

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November 18

Miami Herald

"The Heat-Hawks playoff series last season was arguably the most difficult first-round series to watch last spring. Despite the series going seven games, none of the games was particularly compelling, and play from both teams was uneven. That's why calling the Hawks a rival just yet is a bit premature in the eyes of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. The two teams face each other Wednesday night in a battle that's more about a close division race -- the Hawks, Heat and Magic are all battling for an early lead in the Southeast -- than it does with playoff revenge. ``I mean, any time you play somebody in the playoffs, obviously everything gets heightened, and it went seven games,'' Spoelstra said. ..."

Crawford: Trade kept Knicks out of '08 playoffs

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November 12

New York Post

"Jamal Crawford is on course to finally break his ignominious streak of playing more NBA games without ever making the playoffs (604). Crawford's Hawks, which won 47 games last season, are 6-2 after last night's 114-101 win over the Knicks at the Garden. But Crawford believes that steak would have ended for him last season if Knicks team president Donnie Walsh didn't trade him and Zach Randolph last Nov. 21 in the name of 2010 cap room. The Knicks were 6-5 when the deals were made. They went on to finish 32-50 season. The Knicks still haven't recovered, talent-wise and are still without a go-to guy who wants to take the big shot -- Crawford's staple. "Yes, we would've made the playoffs last ..."

Five Hawks included on NBA All-Star ballot

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November 11

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Five members of the Atlanta Hawks were included on the 2010 NBA All-Star ballot, which was released earlier today. Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson are among the 24 guards on the Eastern Conference ballot. Josh Smith is among the group at forward and Al Horford is one of 12 on the ballot at center. Voting will continue through Jan. 18."

Jamal Crawford ready to whatever it takes to make playoffs with Hawks

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July 18

Seattle Times

columnist Jerry Brewer

"Hard to believe, but Jamal Crawford is almost an NBA grandpa. The skinny showman from Rainier Beach High School with the slick handle will enter his 10th NBA season in October. He's only 29, so he has no gray or thinning hair. In pro-sports years, however, he's seasoned enough to be considered a sage. After the controversies of his prep and collegiate days, he's defied the low expectations of critics who thought he didn't have the discipline to make it. He's proven to be more than worthy of being selected No. 8 overall in the 2000 NBA draft. That class is burdened with busts (Stromile Swift, Marcus Fizer), wasted talents (Darius Miles) and calamity cases (DerMarr Johnson broke his neck), ..."

Warriors trade Crawford for guards Law, Claxton

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June 26

San Francisco Chronicle

"The Warriors traded for a point guard Wednesday, a player once considered one of the finest in the nation, but fans shouldn't take this the wrong way: Acie Law, acquired along with guard Speedy Claxton in the deal for Jamal Crawford, is not considered the team's point guard of the future. This is mostly a flexibility move regarding the salary cap, a glaring issue for the Warriors with so many players locked into long-term deals. It's all about expiring contracts (both Law and Claxton), unloading salary (Crawford) and creative ways to improve the roster in the long-term. Coach Don Nelson and general manager Larry Riley were not in position to comment on the deal, first reported by ESPN on ..."

Team Turmoil living up to its name

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March 22

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Bruce Jenkins

"Jamal Crawford must be one prince of a guy. Not long after being given a flat-out ultimatum by Don Nelson - opt out of your contract this summer, or we'll trade you - Crawford described Nelson as a "genius" and spoke of how much he loves playing for the Warriors. If a single episode captured this train wreck of a season, that was it, for it made no sense either way. No coach in his right mind would come down so harshly and unfairly on a player with so much time left in the season - and no self-respecting player would take it so well. But that's just it: There's never any clarity with this franchise. It's a series of ideas, theories and experiments tossed into the air, and when it comes ..."

Nelson/Crawford Feud Continues In Oakland

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March 17

San Francisco Chronicle

"The strange Don Nelson-Jamal Crawford dynamic continues tonight with the guard again scheduled to sit in favor of the team's younger players. Nelson, who has admitted to telling Crawford to opt out of his contract, said the guard also will not play against the Lakers on Thursday. ... Crawford's latest benching comes despite Golden State being down Stephen Jackson, who will be serving a one-game suspension tonight for reaching the league's technical-foul limit. ... Nelson said second-year guard Marco Belinelli, who has not played in the last three games because of injury and coach's decision, will start in place of Crawford. Kelenna Azubuike takes Jackson's spot."

Sources: Nellie tells Crawford to opt out or he'll be traded

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March 7

Contra Costa Times

"According to multiple team sources, Warriors coach Don Nelson told guard Jamal Crawford that if he doesn't opt out of his contract, Golden State would trade him this offseason. This conversation, according to one of the sources, happened a day after the Warriors' loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 23. Crawford said he still has not decided whether he would opt out, maintaining his focus is on "helping us win some games and finish the season strong." He has two years and just shy of $20 million remaining on his contract after this season. But he has the option to terminate his contract after this season. "I'm not even getting into that," Crawford said before Friday's game against the ..."

Rebuilding Knicks Don't Regret Trading Crawford and Randolph

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February 12

New York Times

"Faces of the recent past and a hoped-for future have haunted the Knicks, a nagging reminder of all that they are missing and how far they have to go. It began eight days ago, when LeBron James - the star the Knicks covet most - picked them apart for 52 points in a Cleveland victory. It continued Sunday in Portland, Ore., where the Knicks, with no certifiable star to lean on, failed to score in the final 1 minute 54 seconds and lost again. The clutch-shooting responsibilities once belonged to Jamal Crawford, but he now plays for the Golden State Warriors, who on Tuesday dealt the Knicks their fifth straight loss, a humiliating 144-127 rout. Afterward, the Knicks dragged themselves to Los ..."

Ellis or Crawford: Who's the point guard?

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January 30

Contra Costa Times

"Less than a minute into the game Wednesday, Warriors guard Jamal Crawford rebounded a missed 17-footer by Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd and pushed the ball the other way. But before he could weigh the options, before he could see if the Warriors had the advantage on the fast break, he dumped the ball practically behind him to guard Monta Ellis, who ran the break. Crawford's deferring gesture epitomized the adjustment period the Warriors' two combo guards are going through. Who is the point guard? Who is the shooting guard? Who runs the show? Who fills the wing? The answer, for now, is both. "(Wednesday), we were just feeling each other out," Crawford said after Thursday's practice at ..."

Warriors notes: Crawford piling up the minutes

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January 20

San Francisco Chronicle

"If it seems like Jamal Crawford is always on the court, it's because he is. Crawford played all 48 minutes Monday to cap off a four-game stretch in which he has logged 199 minutes, 59 seconds - an average of nearly 50 minutes per game. Not that the durable guard is complaining. "I played 60," Crawford said, referring to his triple-overtime load against the Kings on Wednesday. "I'm conditioned for 48." Though Crawford entered the Wizards game averaging 37.4 minutes - 19th in the league - he's still only No. 2 on the Warriors. Stephen Jackson was averaging 39.4 minutes per game, the NBA's third-highest."

Crawford goes for 50 in victory

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December 21

Contra Costa Times

"If you type Jamal Crawford into the search window of You Tube, the first of the more than 300 videos involving him is the highlight reel from his 52-point game against Miami on Jan. 26, 2007. The three-minute clip has been viewed more than 103,000 times since it went live. No doubt, a new video will be up soon, and it will feature his performance Saturday night at Time Warner Cable Arena. Crawford dropped 50 on the Charlotte Bobcats, leading the Warriors to a 110-103 win. He's the first Warrior to reach this plateau since Antawn Jamison did it on Dec. 6, 2000. "What a performance by Jamal," coach Don Nelson said. "We just ran stuff for him as he produced most of the time. He had the ball ..."

Warriors' Crawford puts 50 on Bobcats

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December 21

San Francisco Chronicle

"In Jamal Crawford's first 14 games with the Warriors, they lost 12, including five in a row. On Saturday night, Crawford put a dent in the streak by scoring 50 points for the third time in his career and leading the Warriors to a 110-103 victory over the Bobcats in a game pitting teams without double-digit wins. Crawford shot poorly in three of the past five games - 3-for-15, 6-for-17, 1-for-7 - but hit 14 of 26 field-goal tries Saturday, including 5 of 8 from beyond the three-point arc. He made 17 of 18 free-throw attempts. After the final buzzer, he received a big hug from coach Don Nelson and later said he knew he'd have a breakout performance after scoring six points in Friday's 115-98 ..."

Crawford A Fan Of Golden Landing

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November 30

New York Post

"Jamal Crawford would rather be with the Warriors than the champion Celtics, the front-running Lakers or any other non-New York team. It's fair to say he's in a Golden State. Crawford returned to the Garden last night for the first time since the Knicks dealt him, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the Knicks' 138-125 rout. Crawford didn't want to get traded, but the streaky shooter insists that out of every destination, the Warriors would have been his top choice. "I thought about [the trade] a lot at first but if I could have picked a place to go, and I'm not just saying this - 'cause you can ask my closest friends - if I ever had to leave New York and I had to pick a place to ..."

Crawford ready for fresh perspective

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November 25

San Francisco Chronicle

"Jamal Crawford received his 2-inch thick copy of the Warriors' playbook Monday, and without committing a single set to memory, already felt in command. Eliminating the distractions of the soap-opera Knicks will have that effect. "All the stuff that happened in New York, if you're still there, it's like, 'Oh, you're just part of that whole losing regime,' " said Crawford, who debuts tonight against the Wizards. "I think we had some good players, we just didn't gel and it just didn't work out. But that tag is always on you. So I want to shake that tag. It's a new start." Crawford's initial shock at being traded has turned into delight over his new surroundings, and the chance to run Golden ..."

Crawford off target in new Knicks system

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October 21

Newsday

"When he arrived as the new Knicks coach, one of the first players Mike D'Antoni named as someone he believed would thrive in his system was Jamal Crawford. But five games into the preseason, it appears Crawford hasn't found himself in this new style. "I don't know if there's anything specific," D'Antoni said of Crawford, who had four points in 26 minutes and missed five of his six field-goal attempts in a 114-106 win over the Nets last night in a preseason game at Izod Center. "Maybe get him involved more to get him going, and he needs to be more aggressive to find out where he fits in. Obviously, he's going to get more touches and more looks and get more involved." Crawford's struggles ..."

D'Antoni Counting On Craw

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October 16

New York Post

"Jamal Crawford had an incredulous tone to his voice yesterday when told he's expected to average between 18 and 22 points for the Knicks this season. That projection came from coach Mike D'Antoni, who doesn't seem fazed by Crawford's sluggish start to the preseason. "[D'Antoni] actually said 18-22 about me?" Crawford said, clearly surprised by the lofty projection. "I don't worry about that. The points and that stuff will take care of themselves." Crawford, who led the Knicks last season with a 20.6 scoring average, admits he's still getting used to the team's new wide-open offense. In the Knicks' 116-109 loss to the 76ers on Tuesday, he scored only eight points and is averaging 10.7 ..."