The Point Forward's Zach Lowe is counting down the top 100 players in the NBA and Atlanta Hawks free agent guard Jamal Crawford checks in at No. 65.
Crawford can do that from all over the floor, even if he does take some shots that will make you cringe. He can also run a decent pick-and-roll and make the proper pass, and there were times last season when I'd be begging Larry Drew to try another Crawford/Al Horford pick-and-roll in crunch time.
Concerns about Crawford's defense are legit. His intentions are good, but he is easily crossed over on the ball and has trouble navigating ball screens; Drew's postseason experimentation with Crawford guarding Derrick Rose ended badly. But defending point guards now is a near-impossible task, and I often wonder whether it's better to have your weak-link defender here than in your big man rotation.
I have been following the rankings as they are unveiled and so far I believe they are solid. Lowe states that he is heavily weighting players that are duel threats on both ends of the floor and as we all know that is so not Jamal Crawford. However, Crawford is a very skilled streaky scoring guard that can put up points in bunches. Its not likely that we will see him in Atlanta again but we can appreciate his time while he was here.
The rest of the rankings: