7. Jamal Crawford (7)
Season stats: 17.0 MPG – 9.0 PPG – 2.0 APG – 0.7 SPG – 40.5% FG – 36.5% 3PT – 94.9% FT
Weekly stats: 13.8 MPG – 6.3 PPG – 1.3 APG – 0.3 SPG – 30.4% FG – 25% 3PT – 75% FT
A hot start to his 17th NBA season had Timberwolves fans hopeful that Jamal Crawford would continue to look like an ageless wonder and lead this bench that had struggled for far too long.
Six weeks into the NBA season though and Father Time looks like he has finally started to take Crawford.
His 7-for-22 shooting over the first two games of the week left a lot to be desired, but his 9 and 10 point outputs continued to prove that even when down on form, J-Crossover’s instant offense is crucial to help prop the Timberwolves bench up.
.@JCrossover with the finger roll and the crowd chants MVP pic.twitter.com/mQ8to5iT4M
— Cameron Thomsen (@CameronThomsen) November 23, 2017
This importance to the second unit is exactly why Crawford can’t afford to have games like he did against Phoenix very often.
Crawford failed to post a single point in the 119-108 victory, missing the only two shots he put up and adding just one rebound and a personal foul to round out a forgettable night.
Although Jamal was struggling, it may have been a lack of touches that hurt his chances of earning more than the 11 minutes he was given. According to NBA stats, Crawford’s Usage Rate in the Suns game was just 6.5 percent, the lowest mark of any player who played 10 minutes.
Crawford may be in a mini shooting slump, but he must be allowed to shoot his way out of it like he has so many times over his long NBA career.
If the Wolves can afford J-Crossover this luxury, we may just see him grab back his ‘sixth man’ position in the Timberwolves Power Rankings.