Before we get into the success that has been Jamal Crawford mid-December, a
simple reminder that Crawford is 37 years old.
Those in Crawford’s draft class include: Kenyon Martin, Mike Miller, Joel
Pryzbilla, Quentin Richardson and Mark Madsen.
Those players are no longer playing.
Crawford is.
It may have taken a little while, but Crawford is hitting his stride with the
Wolves. Since Dec. 18, Crawford is averaging 16 points and three assists per
game off the bench while shooting 100 percent from the free-throw line. In
completely related news, the Wolves are 5-1 over that stretch.
On the season, Crawford is averaging 10 points per game. With his hot streak as
of late and the recent injury to Jeff Teague (a knee injury has Teague out
indefinitely), we’re likely to see that number go up.
When it comes to professional scorers, Crawford has to be a board member. When
it comes to shooting, Crawford could miss 30 shots in a row and have the
confidence at shot No. 31 like he was shooting 100 percent. The worst kind of
shooter is a hesitant one. That’s something Crawford is not.
In a 128-125 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets at Target Center on
Wednesday, Jimmy Butler got plenty of attention for his 12 overtime points, and
rightfully so. But this bucket from Crawford with 47 seconds left in overtime
gave the Wolves a 127-125 lead, which ultimately was the game-winning bucket for
Minnesota.
Don’t forget how big this shot was from Jamal Crawford.
pic.twitter.com/wixtLQefaq– Kyle Ratke (@Kyle_Ratke) December 28, 2017
Don’t forget how big this shot was from Jamal Crawford.
pic.twitter.com/wixtLQefaq
“Jamal does a great job of relocating and getting into the vision and then he
read the closeout perfectly,” Crawford’s coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Those shots
he’s made throughout his career. It was a big-time play for us.”
The three-time Sixth Man of the Year is 33rd in all-time games (1,218), 52nd in
minutes played (3,190), sixth in career 3-pointers made (2,093) and 10th in
career free-throw percentage (86.3 percent).
Crawford and the Wolves have their next game on New Year’s Eve against the
Pacers. In 45 career games against the Pacers, Crawford is averaging 16.8 points
per game, tied for the second-highest average against a team in Crawford’s
career. This season, Crawford already had an 18-point and nine assist game with
four made 3-pointers against the Pacers.
Player: Jamal Crawford
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