GM!BOW: Atlanta Hawks’ Jamal Crawford2

The current Sixth Man of the Year award recipient is Los Angeles Laker’s Lamar Odom. However, last year there was another man standing strong in that position. Jamal Crawford was the outstanding performer in that category last season and rightfully so. He may have come off of the bench in all 79 games he played in, but his first season with Atlanta produced 18 points per game. Crawford’s journey to where he is standing now, the second round of the Eastern Conference, has been a long one.

Crawford’s journey began like many in the NBA. He was a young man called upon in the first round, 8^th overall, and walked onto the stage to shake the hand of David Stern. The year of 2000 was the start of a dynasty for the Los Angeles Lakers, but all of that was from Crawford’s mind. He was just happy to be a part of the NBA. Unfortunately, the drama soon ensued as he was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls for Chris Mihm. Now that the decision is in hindsight view, how many times do you think Cleveland decision makers are slapping themselves for that one?

Jamal Crawford was literally doing a press conference on a Cleveland station when he was told about the trade. He revealed that Chicago was one of his first choices, if he could have one, so everything worked out for the best. In the first two years of his career in Chicago, he only started a combined 14 games. His playing time would always increase towards the end of the season and he became more acclimated to the professional level game. Everyone must remember that he was drafted into the NBA after only playing three years of organized basketball.

Playing time was also decided by a torn ACL that manipulated most of his time because of rehabbing. Crawford had to learn how to really work at his craft, because up until injury and surgery, he really never had to. His natural ability carried him through his years, but it is known that raw talent will only get you so far in the National Basketball Association.

By his fourth year with the Bulls, he had began averaging solid numbers, 17.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, but the organization found assistance elsewhere and decided that they were ready to relieve him. He was traded to the New York Knicks were he spent another four seasons of his lifetime. It seems as if his future has never been decided by his own mistakes, because after the injury he sustained in August of 2001 as a Bulls player, he has achieved adequately in playing his role and being a steady offensive contributor.

The Knicks had other things in mind, such as acquiring LeBron James when he became a free agent. They were looking ahead to the future and were very confident that they could make a play for the superstar, because they traded Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford. Both were the team’s leading scorers of the season and Crawford expressed that he would have liked to be in the fold when the Knicks were receiving praises. It would have only been fair since he was there through the firestorm. Who knew how long it would take for the Knicks to become relevant again?

Crawford’s short stint with the Golden State Warriors, right before they began to start the backcourt tandem of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, landed him a fair deal with the Atlanta Hawks. It seems like the player feels right at home as he has been a deciding factor in all of Atlanta’s wins against the competitive Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. His defensive know-how has never been a highlight of his games, but his stroke from beyond the three-point line sure has been put on the center stage. His ball control allows him to have a low margin for turnover and his long range game has undoubtedly been a force to be reckoned with.

Now, he moves on to face the Chicago Bulls where he will prove himself worthy of competition. Jamal Crawford is the example of adapting to your situation. Some players fall into a slump after being tossed around the league like a hot potato, but Crawford has faced each instance with a chip on his shoulder. He has proved that he is much more valuable than everyone expects him to be.

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