December 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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In the end, free-agent guard Jamal Crawford probably didn't get the kind of contract he wanted but it was still more than the Hawks were offering. On Thursday, Crawford signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, officially ending his tenure in Atlanta after two seasons. Hawks general manager Rick Sund already had said the team was unlikely to re-sign Crawford since doing so would have required the team to pay the luxury tax. Crawford, a Seattle native, signed with the Blazers after weighing offers from the Kings and Knicks. He announced his decision via Twitter. "Rip city!!!" Crawford tweeted, referring to one of Portland's nicknames."
December 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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General manager Rick Sund said the Hawks are unlikely to pay the luxury tax, a stance that essentially ends the team's chances of re-signing free agent Jamal Crawford. "It's going to be difficult to sign Jamal in a straight signing transaction," Sund said Sunday. "We are looking at other alternatives, of course. You always look at everything but it's not nearly as easy as if you had four months. Four days instead of four months makes it more it more difficult." Sund was referring to the shortened free-agent period that follows the end of the lockout last week. Atlanta opens the regular season on Dec. 27."
December 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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An Atlanta woman has won a rental dispute with Atlanta Hawks' guard Jamal Crawford. A Fulton County State Court judge ruled last month that Sandra Weber did not owe Crawford more than $30,000 when he moved from the home she rented him, according to court records. Crawford sued his former landlord in January, saying she failed to return to him most of the $20,000 deposit he paid for the Buckhead home he rented from her, or the month's rent he said he overpaid "by mistake," according to the lawsuit."
December 7
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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With a paucity of shooting guards on the roster, the Hornets appear to be in the market for another and are targeting unrestricted free agent Jamal Crawford, who has spent the past two seasons with the Hawks. Andy Miller, Crawford's agent and who also represents former Hornets reserve center Aaron Gray, said Tuesday that New Orleans is in the potential bidding for both of his clients. In recent days, Mark Bartelstein, the representative for free-agent shooting guards Shannon Brown of the Lakers and Nick Young of the Wizards, said Hornets General Manager Dell Demps had inquired about his clients."
December 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Hawks likely will have to have to pay more if they want to re-sign free-agent guard Jamal Crawford. Indiana, New Jersey, Chicago, Orlando, Portland, New Orleans, and Phoenix are among the teams that have expressed interest in Crawford, according to a person familiar with Crawford's recruitment. The person did not want to be identified because the teams don't want their plans made public."
May 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The hockey arm of the Atlanta Spirit might be headed out of town, and a key part of the Spirit's basketball operation could be, too. This assumes the Spirit will keep the Hawks, which it might not. Confused yet?) Jamal Crawford won't be taking his talents to Winnipeg, but he might not be a Hawk much longer. Crawford isn't anxious to leave. Of his four NBA stops, this has been the sweetest: He made the playoffs for the first time, and last season he was voted the league's best sixth man. But he wants more money. He's not apt to find it here. He made $10 million this season. He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. He informed the Hawks a year ago that he'd like a new"
May 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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The hockey arm of the Atlanta Spirit might be headed out of town, and a key part of the Spirit's basketball operation could be, too. This assumes the Spirit will keep the Hawks, which it might not. Confused yet?) Jamal Crawford won't be taking his talents to Winnipeg, but he might not be a Hawk much longer. Crawford isn't anxious to leave. Of his four NBA stops, this has been the sweetest: He made the playoffs for the first time, and last season he was voted the league's best sixth man. But he wants more money. He's not apt to find it here. He made $10 million this season. He's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. He informed the Hawks a year ago that he'd like a new"
May 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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At one end of the locker room, Hawks All-Star guard Joe Johnson talked about essentially ditching coach Larry Drew's share-the-ball philosophy for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference playoffs Sunday. "Honestly, I just got to force the issue," Johnson said after he scored 10 points during the Hawks' 99-82 loss to the Bulls on Friday. "I am not going to succumb to the double team and give it up every time - because that's what they want. We are playing right into their hands. I blame myself for that." Teammate Jamal Crawford, also the target of Bulls double teams, stood at the opposite end of the locker room and said he's willing to pass if it helps the Hawks score. "They're kind of taking it"
May 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Hawks coach Larry Drew still hadn't decided on a starting lineup when the team left for Chicago on Sunday. "I'm just going on feel right now," Drew said. There's a lot for Drew to think about as he decides on his starters for the Eastern Conference semifinals. The first issue is point guard, where starter Kirk Hinrich isn't expected to play during the best-of-seven series. Jeff Teague could take Hinrich's place since he's best suited to defend Chicago's Derrick Rose. Drew said he's also considering starting veteran Jamal Crawford, who hasn't started a game in his two seasons for Atlanta. Drew and predecessor Mike Woodson have favored Crawford's scoring off the bench. "The decision that I"
April 26
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Now that his sizzling scoring has helped put the Hawks on the verge of advancing past the Magic into the Eastern Conference semifinals, the praise is flowing for Jamal Crawford. But Crawford remembers the tags critics not so long ago used to hang on him. He was a scorer but needed a lot of shots to get his points. He put up big numbers but he did so while playing for bad teams. His one-on-one style was good for highlights, bad for winning. "There have been lots of knocks," Crawford said before the Hawks left Monday for Orlando with a 3-1 series lead. Most of those criticisms fell by the wayside last season, when Crawford joined the Hawks via trade and had the most efficient scoring season"
April 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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After Jamal Crawford banked in a 3-pointer to preserve the Hawks' victory over the Magic, coach Larry Drew slumped over the scorer's table and flashed the smile of a man who knew his team had just gotten away with something. "I was hoping he would attack the basket," Drew said. "He was two or three feet behind the 3-point line. I didn't know if it was going in or not. I was just pretty relieved that it did go down." Crawford's leaning, challenged shot with 5.7 seconds left provided an unlikely ending to Atlanta's 88-84 victory over the Magic on Friday at Philips Arena. The Hawks lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 on Sunday at home. The Hawks survived to win an intense, physical"
April 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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They called Jamal Crawford "The Difference" because his scoring punch off the bench helped jolt the Hawks to 53 victories last season. Now things are just different for Atlanta's shooting guard. There are fewer big scoring games that made him a fan favorite and Sixth Man Award Winner last season. There are more nights where he hardly shoots at all, can't find his rhythm when he does or generally appears passive on the court. Crawford said there's been tension this season between his instincts and his altered role in coach Larry Drew's offense. He's a natural scorer off the dribble who sometimes has to be a playmaker when he has the ball and seek scoring chances without it. "He's had a very"
March 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Marvin Williams and Jamal Crawford share Seattle roots and laidback personalities. More germane to the Hawks' playoff aspirations, both players have the potential to point their team to a first-round upset. As both work their way through inconsistent seasons, Hawks coach Larry Drew has been trying to unlock both players in time for the postseason. So are Williams and Crawford. They've got eight games remaining in the regular season, starting with Orlando on Wednesday night at Philips Arena. "So each and every night, it's something Jamal and I talk about," Williams said. "We just want to bring a little bit more to this team to kind of get us over the hump." On Sunday against an over-matched"
February 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It probably is not accurate to characterize Jamal Crawford's struggles as a shooting slump because that implies the Hawks guard actually is taking his normal shots. Crawford is 47-of-135 (35 percent) from the field in his past 12 games, well below his season average of 42 percent. In four of his past seven games Crawford has failed to shoot more than nine times. The declining shooting percentage has Hawks coach Larry Drew less concerned than does Crawford's lack of aggressiveness. Drew said it's "nothing unusual" for scorers to go through rough shooting stretches, but he needs Crawford to keep attacking. "I need him to be in that assassin mode, just letting it fly," Drew said. "It seems"
February 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jamal Crawford isn't making shots at his usual clip, but considering his history, chances are the Hawks guard will snap out of it and start filling up nets again soon. Just don't use a certain word to describe what's going on. "I don't like the word 'slump,'" Crawford said. "They are going to go in. I just have to continue to shoot them." That's the approach favored by many scorers with Crawford's ability. By whatever name it's called, the bottom line is Crawford lately has struggled to put the ball in the basket. Crawford has shot better than 50 percent from the field in one of his past eight games, when he made eight of 15 field-goal attempts and scored 19 points at Miami. In the other"
January 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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For a while Jamal Crawford's hot shooting was about the only thing working for the Hawks against the Clippers. When Los Angeles threatened to run away in the third quarter, Crawford scored nine consecutive points to keep Atlanta afloat. But when the Hawks and Clippers were locked in a tight game in the fourth quarter, Crawford retreated to the background. That prompted teammate Damien Wilkins to urge Crawford to step forward. "Don't disappear out there," Wilkins told Crawford. "You are the reason we are in this game. Don't defer now." So Crawford went back to dominating. He pump-faked Eric Gordon to draw a foul on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws. He stole the ball and"
December 18
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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For the second consecutive game, Hawks guard Jamal Crawford sat out with a back injury. Crawford, who has been having back problems dating to the preseason, said he reaggravated the injury Tuesday in the Hawks' loss to Detroit and was unable to lift his arms above his head. He sat out the Hawks' loss Thursday to Boston. Coach Larry Drew said he was told by trainer Wally Blase that it was a problem with a disc. "I think I did a funny movement or something," Crawford said of the injury. Crawford called it a day-to-day injury. He hoped to return to the lineup either for Sunday's game at New Jersey or Monday's game against Orlando at the latest."
December 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Saturday night, Jamal Crawford's arsenal was on full display. In the Hawks' 97-83 win over Indiana, the Hawks guard slashed to the basket. He dropped a 3-pointer from the wing so true it barely grazed the net. He drove and flipped the ball out to forward Josh Smith, who buried a baseline jumper. About a third of the way into coach Larry Drew's first season and in the second week of Joe Johnson's absence, Crawford appears to be getting grooved into the Hawks offense. "He's certainly starting to find his rhythm," Drew said. Crawford has scored 26, 23 and 25 points in the Hawks' past three games, the first time he's scored 20 or more in three consecutive games with the Hawks. Crawford, who"
November 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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First, Jamal wanted me to pass along a message to my blog people: He reads all of your comments and he still loves you all. Killin' em with kindness, I guess. With that out of the way, it's been clear that the instant offensive jolt Jamal regularly provided under Woody has gone missing at times as L.D. moves to a more structured approach. Jamal is an instinctive scorer, adept at having the ball in his hands and attacking off the dribble, and now he's being asked to play off the ball and set the table more often. The Hawks have found more offensive balance than they've had in the past with L.D.'s approach. But for Jamal it's meant a move away from the comfort zone he enjoyed last season. "I"
November 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Jeff Schultz
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It may get to the point where it's clear the Hawks need to make a trade, but they're not there yet. I bring this up now because of a rumor passed along Monday by pal Sekou Smith of NBA.com that the Detroit Pistons were looking to trade Tayshaun Prince (possibly packaging him with Will Bynum) to the Hawks for Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague. First, about the deal. The Pistons are denying it. Just as well because it stinks for the Hawks. Expect Crawford's name to come up in several trade rumors. He is in the final year of his contract, isn't happy about about the fact the Hawks haven't made a move to extend his deal and there is interest in him from other teams. But to deal a proven scorer"
October 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Hawks guard Jamal Crawford has avoided publicly expressing his displeasure with the team's front office for not offering a contract extension now more than three months after he requested one. Yet Crawford, who has asked the Hawks to trade him if an agreement can't be reached, now sounds more urgent about his situation. "I would love to be here long term, no doubts about it," Crawford said after a recent Philips Arena practice. "I would love to lock that up before I become a free agent. I want to make it work here. But if that is not the plan, I guess I will go elsewhere." Crawford, acquired by Atlanta in a trade with Golden State last summer, will make $10.1 million in the final year of"
October 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jamal Crawford isn't happy about his contract situation. It's been obvious to those around him at Hawks camp that his demeanor isn't the same. He's being a professional but the enthusiasm is lacking. So far, Crawford has stopped short of publicly expressing his displeasure with the Hawks for not offering a contract extension. In that way he's taking a different tact than Kenyon Martin in Denver and Aaron Brooks in Houston. But Crawford's stance might be shifting a bit. At media day Monday he was careful to avoid talking about the possibility of leaving the Hawks. Now, with GM Rick Sund still not offering an extension and also resisting trade inquiries, Crawford sounds more urgent about the"
September 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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With its fresh uniforms and perspectives and unsullied optimism for a new season, media day is a traditionally happy proceeding. And that's generally how it went for the Hawks during their official introduction to reporters Monday at Philips Arena. Yet the touchy subjects of business dealings and hurt feelings were a serious contrast to the smiles for candid photos. For Hawks guard Jamal Crawford, there were questions about his desire for a contract extension or, failing that, a trade. All-Star Joe Johnson was asked about the who are fans still rankled because he said he "could care less if they showed up" for playoffs games after some booed the team during the Eastern Conference"
September 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Just two weeks until training camp, blog people, and all is quiet on the Hawks front. And under the circumstances, "quiet" really means: "Jamal Crawford and the Hawks might be headed for a showdown." As everyone knows, Crawford wants a contract extension for what he believes to be his market value or, failing that, a trade. He's pushing for an extension both because of the past (his Sixth Man of the Year season) and the future (the looming specter of a new CBA). The Hawks have contemplated Crawford's request for going on two months now. But they seem reluctant to offer him a long-term contract because of the past (long-term deals for Bibby and Marvin last summer and J.J. this summer) and"
August 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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An unsatisfying offseason has the potential to turn unsavory. In the same summer the Hawks made Joe Johnson the priciest free-agent signing and Larry Drew the cheapest head-coaching hire, they must now deal with Jamal Crawford. This isn't what any doctor — from Dr. J to Dr. Jack Ramsey — would have ordered. According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Crawford and his agent are expected to meet with general manager Rick Sund this week. Crawford is thought to want one of two things: To sign a contract extension before the new season commences or to be traded forthwith. Given that his was the happiest Hawks story of a season that ended unhappily, Crawford must be taken seriously. Given"
August 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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An unsatisfying offseason has the potential to turn unsavory. In the same summer the Hawks made Joe Johnson the priciest free-agent signing and Larry Drew the cheapest head-coaching hire, they must now deal with Jamal Crawford. This isn't what any doctor - from Dr. J to Dr. Jack Ramsey - would have ordered. Crawford and his agent are expected to meet with general manager Rick Sund this week. Crawford is thought to want one of two things: To sign a contract extension before the new season commences or to be traded forthwith. Given that his was the happiest Hawks story of a season that ended unhappily, Crawford must be taken seriously. Given that these are the Hawks, who are so cheap they"
August 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jorge Sierra at HoopsHype.com reports the Hawks are close to signing free agent center Etan Thomas. Hawks assistant general manager Dave Pendergraft confirmed the team had Thomas in for a workout but said Thomas is one of a handful of free agents the Hawks are considering. "He's on a very, very short list," Pendergraft said. "We were pleased with the workout." Pendergraft declined to comment on the other candidates for Atlanta's 13th roster spot. But he said the team likes its options and is "not in a leftover situation" in its search for another center. "We are very satisfied with who we've got under contract and we are looking to see who can accentuate that other position," Pendergraft"
August 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jamal Crawford has told the Hawks he wants to be traded before the 2010-11 season if the team doesn't offer a contract extension to his liking, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Crawford, whose current contract expires after the season, asked the Hawks for an extension last month, but has yet to receive an answer from the team. If the Hawks balk at offering Crawford what he considers an extension reflecting his market value then he would rather play elsewhere for the final season of his contract, according to the person familiar with the circumstances. The person did not want to be identified because neither Crawford nor the Hawks have commented on his desire for an"
August 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jamal Crawford has told the Hawks he wants to be traded before the 2010-11 season if the team doesn't offer a contract extension to his liking, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Crawford, whose current contract expires after the season, asked the Hawks for an extension last month but has yet to receive an answer from the team. If Atlanta balks at offering Crawford what he considers an extension reflecting his market value then he would rather play elsewhere for the final season of his contract, according to the person familiar with the circumstances. The person did not want to be identified because neither Crawford nor the Hawks have commented on his desire for an"