Jordan Crawford didn’t need defending after he scored 21 points on 10-for-18 shooting in the Wizards’ 93-85 win over Orlando on Tuesday. But he got some anyway. “A lot of people criticize him for taking bad shots, but that’s just the type of player he is,” teammate John Wall said. “Some of his shots is going to be bad, but he makes those tough shots, and that’s how his game is. With him being a scorer like that, we really need that with our offense right now.”
But with each passing game, the question becomes more about Crawford’s future. Averaging 17.7 points and 3.1 assists and shooting 42.1 percent since the All-Star break, the defiantly confident second-year guard is doing exactly what he did as a rookie.
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“I thought the last couple of games he’s come out aggressive,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. “He’s attacked the rim a little bit more off the dribble instead of just settling for long shots.”
But instead of committing to Crawford last spring, the Wizards extended a qualifying offer to Nick Young, and Crawford struggled as his backup. Depending on the draft lottery, the Wizards might be looking at Florida scoring guard Bradley Beal in June.
That addition almost certainly would stifle Crawford’s progress in the same way — not that it would show on his face. Crawford never changed his expression as he scored or assisted on 12 straight third-quarter points against the Magic and added another seven on 3-for-3 shooting in the fourth.
“I don’t ever really smile when I get buckets,” Crawford said. “I been doing it since I popped out, so it ain’t nothing new to me.”
– Craig Stouffer
