Pros and cons of Jamal Crawford on the Timberwolves
By Antoine Bass
Veteran Leadership
Crawford has been in the NBA for 17 years, just having that type of experience on a team is valuable. He’s bounced around the league a bit but with that not only comes leadership but also playoff experience.
Crawford has been in those big moments and he has taken those big shots; he knows what it feels like to win and knows what it feels like to lose. He can teach those young guys how to cope with both situations.
He’s been in those moments and he can teach young guys such as Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns how to react in those moments. Also, just by being in the league so long, Crawford played with many players and has played under countless coaches.
This is great because he can bring new ideas and schemes that may work for the Timberwolves that they didn’t even know of. The veteran presence can also be felt in the locker room.
Players need to be held accountable for things such as mistakes. A veteran won’t hesitate to tell a young guy what mistakes he’s doing on the court. The Timberwolves need Crawford to be that veteran.
They need someone to uplift the team after tough loss, someone to point out guys who were making mistakes. That tough love mindset can go a long way in the NBA.
Teams need a leader to step up when things aren’t going how they should be or when other guys aren’t playing to their potential and Crawford can be that guy.
He’s 37 years old and knows that his time in the league is most likely limited, its unlikely that he wants to play around. Veterans want to win, and Crawford has the ability to help turn Minnesota into a winning culture.