Jamal Crawford: Hawked Up Style of Play

His presence felt in Atlanta made sense to Jamal Crawford. He is expected to play reduced minutes apart from his time when he was in New York. With the Knicks, he averaged over twenty points a game and averaged at least fifteen shots. In Atlanta, he should expect reduced shots and minutes. Overall, Crawford is anticipating a lesser impact on his role on a Hawks time that has won 47 games last season and are expected to be even better. On this Hawks team that includes backcourt mates in Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson, Crawford is much more expected to be a ballhandler, distributor, and scorer respectively for this team. He is a dead-eye shooter from anywhere on the court. His presence definitely will be valuable for the time he'll spend in Atlanta. There is no one more fitted than Jamal Crawford to be able to do those three things for the Atlanta Hawks this upcoming 2009-2010 season. This Hawks team has proved that they can hang with the best teams of the East, pushing the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination in seven games in the 2007 NBA playoffs before losing the crucial game. With the talent that they have on their squad with Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford, they are an incredibly lanky frontcourt that is hell-bent on athleticism and defensive ability.

With new veteran teammates in Jason Collins and Joe Smith, the Hawks are full of interior depth in their front court. With Zaza Pachulia backing up Al Horford at center, Atlanta expects Collins to be able to play some spotty minutes once Pachulia is in foul trouble or needs rest. I think that with the minutes Maurice Evans plays behind Marvin Williams and Josh Smith, that the Hawks will have the firepower they need to win games.

Also with rookie point guard Jeff Teague learning the ropes in the NBA and with the Atlanta Hawks, there is no doubt that Mike Bibby will eventually have a replacement once when he retires. At age 33, Bibby is still in his prime, although he has shown that in crucial stages of the game, he should be resting and another ballhandler should be able to run the point.