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Stats: 20.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 39.1% 3PT, 46.2% FG, 2.4 t/o's
Size:
- Listed: 6'4", 195 lb, 21 yrs old
- Combine: 6'4 1/2" (with shoes), 198 lb, 6'7" (wingspan)
About Him: After a solid, yet unspectacular freshman season at Indiana where he averaged 9.7 ppg on a team that included Eric Gordon, Armon Bassett, and DJ White, Crawford -- the younger brother of former Kentucky star Joe Crawford -- bounced after Kelvin Sampson imploded the Hoosier program, transferring to Xavier. A relative unknown, Crawford put his name on the map during the summer of 2009 when he caught the King himself getting lazy on helpside defense with the dunk heard 'round the world.
Crawford hasn't slowed down since. The 21 year old sophomore got off to a slow start to the season, but finished the year averaging 20.5 ppg as the main offensive option for a Xavier team that tied Temple as the A-10's regular season champ. Crawford is a gunner, through and through. Simply put, the kid can flat out score, and he does so in a variety of ways. He has awesome range on his jumper, which he can hit off the catch or off the dribble, with a hand in his face, out to (no exaggeration here) about 30 feet. Ask Kansas State. He takes quite a few (very) low-percentage three-point shots this season, and he still managed to shoot over 39% from deep. Think about that.
Crawford has also become proficient in the mid-range game. He can knock down pull-up and step-back jumpers at a pretty consistent rate. And while he is at his best with the ball in his hands -- a "slasher" is the term most have used here -- Crawford is much better in the mid range than he is at finishing around the rim. The dunk on LeBron aside, Crawford was just a slightly above average athlete at the college level. He's not terribly explosive, and his slight frame doesn't help him absorb contact all that well. He can does have a few floaters, short jumpers, and runners in his arsenal, but he is inconsistent at knocking those down, mainly because they end up being very difficult shots.
There are two main problems that Crawford has as a prospect. The first is that he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He's not the kind of player that is going to run off of a screen and knock down jumpers. He's not as effective spotting up on the wing. He's at his best when he has the ball in his hands and is allowed to break down a defense to create a shot for himself. Unfortunately, Crawford is not going to be afforded the opportunity that he had at Xavier; he won't be allowed to take 15-20 shots per game and dominate possession of the ball. If he doesn't develop the ability to play off the ball, he may find his minutes limited at the next level.
The other issue is his shot selection. Crawford makes a lot of very difficult shots, but he also takes quite a few dumb ones as well. Chris Mack had to live with it at Xavier this season because the Musketeers only had limited offensive options. But in the NBA, Crawford isn't going to be able to take contested 27 footers with 15 seconds left on the shot clock.
Defensively, the potential is there. He's got decent lateral quickness, good length, and the size to cover a point guard or a two guard if need be. But at the college level, he gambled too much and never really put in the effort. Part of that was how much Xavier relied on him offensively, the question is going to be, however, how big of a part was it?
Comparison:
- Best Case Scenario: Jamal Crawford is pretty good comparison for Jordan. Similar size and skills sets, and Jamal had some good seasons in New York. A more realistic best case is probably a more athletic Flip Murray or a bigger Will Bynum, a sparkplug off the bench that gets minutes because they can put up points in a hurry.
- Worst Case Scenario: Maybe a guy like an Eddie House, if Crawford can get used playing off the ball. A role player that gets limited minutes as a shooter to spread the floor.
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