When the league talks about best backcourts and unique shot-makers off the bench, Jamal Crawford is often included in the conversations.
Despite not being a starter, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year knew how to play on and off the ball and took charge in pressure moments.
In a comparison, NBA champion Jeff Teague said he takes Crawford over Manu Ginobili as the best sixth man in league history.
“He came off the bench his whole career, Lou Will did too for the most part but Jamal didn’t. Jamal was a starter in New York, started in Chicago he didn’t come off the bench till Atlanta and he was 30 years old. That was his first time not starting,” Teague said, per Club520 podcast.
Crawford has played with nine teams in his entire career and often contributed to winning and reaching the playoffs.
The 6-foot-5 guard is compared in today’s prime to LaMelo Ball, where they cannot be placed in a system player, but rather being themselves.
Teague also detailed Crawford’s difference from the European basketball concept, like Ginobili, who played well as a role player.
“You got to coach them a certain way; like Jamal, you can’t put him in a certain system. You just got to be like, ‘Hey Jamal, get in and just be Jamal.’ Like, he couldn’t play for Coach Bud. He probably couldn’t play for Pop. He had Ginóbili type of stuff like they do random sh*t, they do random wild sh*t, but Jamal like, Ginóbili still came from European system so they still played European basketball, extra pass all that good stuff. Jamal is like, wildcard if you don’t let him be Jamal Crawford, you not going to get the best of him,” Teague added.
Crawford averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game in his over 20-year NBA career.
