[外電] Jamal Crawford – Pay him or trade him?
Hawks Fans: Jamal Crawford – Pay him or trade him?
http://tinyurl.com/2ezoqbn
by Big Ray
Paging Rick Sund. Paging Rick Sund. I hope you’ve enjoyed your vacation,
because it might be getting cut just a bit short, what with Jamal Crawford
making some noise.
Then again, Sund is not known for being a quick mover in this business. Here’
s a question for you right out of the gate, though. Will Sund move with near
the swiftness in either paying or dealing Jamal, as he did in acquiring him?
Of course, such a question comes with some caveats. One is that we don’t
know whether that trade (in which the Hawks sent guards Acie Law and Speedy
Claxton to Golden State for Jamal Crawford) just fell into Sund’s lap, or if
it was something both the Warriors and the Hawks were planning for some time,
or what. Does it really matter? As it stands, Sund is not known for hurrying
to make any move (see Josh Smith, Josh Childress, etc), outside of the quick
and attractive offer made to Joe Johnson shortly after the free agency period
began. Where does Jamal and his demands stand?
So Jamal would rather be somewhere else playing than in Atlanta, if he can’t
get an extension he finds to his liking? Isn’t this the same guy who signed
a clause in his contract with Atlanta, stating that he would not opt out of
the final year of his contract (that would be THIS year), in the trade that
brought him here? Do you think he’s being selfish, or is he doing the smart
thing from a business standpoint? Is this related to the looming Collective
Bargaining Agreement, or is it personal? While you think about that, let’s
look at the two options Jamal has put on the table, and what either of them
could mean for the team.
PAY HIM !
Do you even have to think about it? Jamal is the reigning Sixth Man of they
Year. He averaged roughly 18 points per game, which is no mean feat in the
NBA. He was the second option on offense. Not only that, but aside from Joe
Johnson, who else on this team is a bonafide scorer/shooter at that level? I
’m not talking about just being able to score in the teens. I’m talking
about being able to lead a team in scoring. Being able to put up 20 or 30
points on any given night. Being able to take an opponent off the dribble.
Being able to create your own shot anywhere inside the half court line. Who
else on this team (again, aside from Joe) can do his own thing, and still
score 18-20 or more, even on a bad shooting night (i.e. 7 for 21)? Josh
Smith? Al Horford? That is the closest you’re going to get, and neither of
those guys can get to the line enough to make up for bad shooting or a
stifling defense. Not yet, anyway.
What happens if Joe Johnson incurs a serious injury? Who then can step up on
offense? Mike Bibby? Sure, he has the range and the stroke, but is he still
capable of getting those kinds of points for a couple of games? How about
five to ten games? Twenty? Can Marvin Williams do it? Do I really have to
ask? Lose Jamal, and you put some pressure back on Joe Johnson and the
others. Lose Jamal, and you lose some things. You lose a guy who will take
and make a long 3-pointer as the buzzer sounds, without flinching. You lose a
guy who can excite the crowd. You lose a guy who can energize the team off
the bench. Unless of course you think there are others on the bench who can
come in and be that potent a threat. Can Mo Evans do that? Without Jamal, is
the bench more than a bunch of also-rans?
TRADE HIM!
Pay him more money, are you crazy? We just signed Bibby to a contract before
last season, that pays him roughly $6 million per year, and what was the
reward? We got to watch his game decline as the year wore on. The same thing
could happen with Jamal to some extent, as he is not going to get better as
time goes on, not at the age of 29 or 30. Besides, we have two major things
going for us – One is Larry Drew’s phenomenal offensive approach, which
will not be based on isolation plays. Two, we have Jordan Crawford, who is a
talent in his own right. And we don’t want him to rot away on the bench all
season the way Teague nearly did last season, do we?
Look how stacked we are at the shooting guard position. There is Joe Johnson,
Jamal Crawford, Mo Evans, and Jordan Crawford. Is this good team balance? How
do you divide those minutes up without moving Joe and Jamal to other
positions (small forward and point guard, respectively)? Is that efficient
use of the team, or will it create matchup problems the Hawks don’t want to
find themselves in? Also, doesn’t this team need a guy more suited to backup
small forward? How about a third point guard in case Teague doesn’t pan out
so well, or struggles all season? What about a better big man that the bench
currently boasts? Couldn’t moving Jamal address one or more of those
positions? Besides, the development of Teague and Jordan Crawford is pivotal
for future considerations.
Back to Drew’s offense. If the idea is to move the ball around more and make
more potent and efficient scorers out of the entire lineup, then will Jamal’
s scoring prowess be needed at the level it was last season? Would he get the
kind of shots and stats that made him Sixth Man of the Year last season? If
not, does that diminish his value to the team? This team has one guy who can
go into isolation mode if necessary, and will have to learn not to do so on a
regular basis. Why keep a second one who might have the exact same issues?
So which route do you think the Hawks should go? Pay Jamal, or trade him…
.and why? Also, if he’s extended, how much should he be paid? The Hawks
might want to be careful here, as an extension must also be reached with Al
Horford, if the they don’t want to play the “watch, then match” game next
summer, the way they did with Josh Smith. It’s rarely wise to do that with
an All-Star player, particularly a young and promising one. Also, what
ramifications might this have on the payroll? The Hawks want no part of the
luxury tax, Pape Sy may not come over this year (if that buyout doesn’t work
out), and the 13th roster spot has to be filled at some point.
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