NBA: 3 contenders that should consider signing Jamal Crawford

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have one of the NBA’s most dynamic backcourts today in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, but their need for bench scoring showcased itself continuously all season. Houston finished with the 28th-ranked bench scoring total at 28.0 points per game and still managed to get the 6-seed.

A significant part of this was that their backcourt consisted of two former league MVPs, but in the postseason, 27.0 bench points likely is not enough to get the job done. Much like Philadelphia, Crawford is not the savior to elevate this franchise to top-tier contenders, but he can vastly improve their bench’s lack of scoring.

Crawford would also fit in perfectly with the small-ball system that Houston adapted to midway through this season. The 40-year-old could help take some of the pressure off of Harden and Westbrook with his ability to create his own shot and get teammates involved, despite his age.

The Rockets need to address their lack of bench production before their postseason run, whenever that is, and Crawford would be of significant help to start. The 3-time Sixth Man could be a tremendous addition to a team whose most significant flaw is their bench, and Houston is undoubtedly the contending team that could utilize his services the most.