The Brooklyn Nets signed NBA veteran Jamal Crawford on Wednesday night, but what exactly does the 40-year-old bring to the table?
Fans have been lobbying for a team to sign three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner Jamal Crawford all season, and the Brooklyn Nets obliged on Wednesday night. Crawford will accompany the team to Orlando in the NBA’s restart, in hopes of providing a spark for this depleted roster.
Excluding Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant due to injury, the Nets will be without five rotational players for the remainder of the season, which include Spencer Dinwiddie, Wilson Chandler, Deandre Jordan, Taurean Prince, and Nicolas Claxton. For a while, it seemed as if the team might not even have a legitimate NBA roster heading into Orlando, but the addition of Crawford certainly helps.
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The guard went unsigned last offseason after a mediocre 2018-19 campaign with the Phoenix Suns, as he averaged a mere 7.9 points and 3.6 assists per game. Still, given what he has done throughout his lengthy career, he could be a useful addition.
Now with the Brooklyn Nets, Crawford can showcase that teams were wrong to doubt him at 40-years-old. Although he will not be the Jamal Crawford of old that was one of the most lethal offensive threats in the league, the guard could still provide an essential spark for a team that desperately needs it. This is the same player that scored 51 points in his last game of last season, and, with half of Brooklyn’s roster out, could surprise some people with meaningful minutes.
There is no question that Jamal Crawford can score the ball at a high rate. Over the course of his illustrious 19-year NBA career, the guard has only averaged single-digit scoring three times, those being his first two seasons and his most recent. Still, the guard had a fantastic stretch towards the end of last season despite the overall stats not showing it.
"“For me, I don’t think it comes down to whether I can play or not. Besides the 51-point game, I averaged, you know, over 30 points in the month of April, which is my highest-scoring month in my 19-year career. So I don’t think it comes down to that.”"
Crawford’s subpar play on the defensive end tied in with his growing age was certainly a viable reason for the widespread disinterest in him on the free agent market. However, for a team like the Brooklyn Nets that is looking to fill vacant roster spots at the moment, this signing is a low-risk, high-reward scenario, particularly given his dynamic offense.
If Crawford shows that he can still play at a high level despite his age, perhaps the Nets give him another opportunity next season. Adding Crawford to this team at full strength would be an interesting move given their championship aspirations along with his resume.
Before he got signed, Crawford recently revealed that he might not be willing to call it a career after this season, and one more year could be desirable.
"“I don’t know if I have a timetable but I would think for me, it would probably be at some point next season,” said the NBA vet. “Like it may not be the beginning of next season, maybe a team that fighting for the playoffs later on in the season.”"
Only time will tell, but before any of that, Crawford still has to silence the doubters and prove that he can still play NBA basketball this season. The Nets will need drastic help to stay afloat when the season restarts later this month, and perhaps Crawford could turn back the clock to help them out offensively.
With so many players out, one thing that the Brooklyn Nets need is scoring, and Jamal Crawford can undoubtedly help them in that department.