| 07 December 2011
Yuck. That picture makes me cringe. This is even before the E-Rob headband rule.
Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld is reporting that this is happening. I really hope not. And I really think Gar and Pax are not that desperate.
And that's how I feel about that. I don't care what Jamal Crawford has accomplished in the past ten years. I will always remember him as the selfish chucker with a low basketball IQ that Tim Floyd probably still has nigthmares about.
Beyond that, I think this would be a terrible trade. TERRIBLE. Jamal Crawford is a ball-stopper and is hardly a legitimate defender. Even if he gives you double digit points off the bench, he still gives you about 5-7 terrible possessions a game because of poor shot selection. Those are 5-7 possessions that Derrick could be taking the ball to the hole and drawing the foul or finding the open big man.
Is it really that big of an upgrade? Is it an upgrade at all? Um, no. It's not. Bogans is a tough defender and never made a poor decision. Brewer, the exact same can be said. Plus, he was an absolute master at sneaking up on you baseline underneath the rim and just getting open. No one in the league works the baseline like Ronnie Brewer. And he doesn't give you bad possessions. He just plays tough D, smart O, and makes no mistake. Crawford plays below average D, bonehead O, and makes tons of mistakes. Sure, less than in 2000. Significantly less, but still more than I can stomach. And probably more than Derrick would be able to stomach as well.
I think this trade would be terrible for chemistry and terrible for the style of play Thibs enforces. We can't have a ball-stopper and be effective with Derrick running the point. This is a trade just for the sake of trading. I sincerely hope Gar and Pax have better judgment than to pull the trigger on this one. Things are really not that desperate at the 2. Come on guys, just hold out for J-Rich and sign him to the MLE. He is a significantly smarter and better player than Jamal Crawford and he will fit into the system. Please.
