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Minnesota Timberwolves: Mid-season report card

By Brian Sampson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 31: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 31: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 27: Jamal Crawford #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates after making the game-winning bucket to defeat the Denver Nuggets on December 27, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 27: Jamal Crawford #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates after making the game-winning bucket to defeat the Denver Nuggets on December 27, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Jamal Crawford: B+

Jamal Crawford has been as advertised this season and has been a great spark plug off the bench. There have already been multiple times this season he’s carried Minnesota to a victory by getting hot and knocking down a number of buckets.

His per 36 numbers of 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 33.6 percent from downtown,  line up very close to his career averages all across the board.

I’ve been most impressed with his willingness to pass when needed and the ability he’s shown when making those passes. Don’t get me wrong, he still loves to dribble the air out of the ball, takes his man one-on-one, or use a high ball-screen an inordinate number of times. But when he needs to, he’ll hit the roll man in perfect position for an easy score. His 4.4 assists per 36 minutes also back that up, as it’s his highest since his 2007-8 season with the New York Knicks.

The one knock on his offensive game so far has been his low percentage shooting the ball from downtown.

Until Friday night’s game at the Boston Celtics, Crawford missed 15 straight three-point attempts. He quickly snapped out of that funk, however, by draining four of his five attempts from behind the arc. He needs to continue to work on his three-point percentage in order to see his grade rise even higher.

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