A Crawford by another name
Manny Pacquiao's "wild rabbit" analogy in his new commercial for a certain alcoholic beverage is one to take notice of. You may be asking yourself, "why" or "so what"? The point is, every NBA team chases the same "wild rabbit" of an NBA championship. It is also fair to say that they each have a player who fits that mold on their squad, whose role is to be the difference maker. For the Celtics it's Jordan Crawford.
Crawford is mostly known for the dunk he made over LeBron James at the star's Skills Academy while he was a collegian at Xavier. He played it down then, but his attitude and demeanor since he came into the league shows he has let it get into his head.
There have been only two players with the last name of Crawford that have played in the NBA. They are each other's doppelganger. Both have the same build, similar style of play and never met a shot they didn't like.
Who are they? The Los Angeles Clippers' Jamal Crawford and The Boston Celtics' Jordan Crawford. Their career paths are basically the same, even their initials J.C. speak of the duality of their talent and NBA paths.
It took Jamal Crawford 12 years to understand that it is necessary to give your talents to the team. He is now coming off the bench for the Clippers and is thriving in his role as a sixth man. The Clippers and Crawford are shining and it shows in their record (42-18) as they have now become the "big dog" in the Staples Center. Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers (29-30) can only watch as they struggle for the eighth seed in a conference they used to rule.
Boston acquired Jordan Crawford via a minor trade with the Washington Wizards. The Celtics, who are having problems of their own, traded an injured Leandro Barbosa and veteran big man, Jason Collins. They were marginal players who didn't necessarily fit into Doc's long range plans. Boston is clinging to the seventh spot in a very weak Eastern Conference and - like the Lakers - are no longer dominant.
Jordan could be what Jamal is for the Clippers, a "gunner" who is willing to play defense and not let it effect his game. Of course, Jamal has twelve years of experience to draw on and he uses it in ways you can only imagine Jordan doing. We caught a glimpse of his ability earlier in the season when the Wizards defeated the Miami Heat 101-94. It was a pleasure to see Crawford, take it to the hoop and generally play an overall good game. He ended the night with 22 points, drilling 3 of 6 from three.
However, his self absorbed ways hurt the team and found himself in what he and others consider a very fortunate position when Boston traded for him.
This Boston Celtic "wild rabbit" is still young and inexperienced. However, if he takes heed of the veterans' advice he can avoid being just the flavor of the month. He will be able to absorb his lessons faster than his "outlier brother" Jamal Crawford of the "Clip Show" and maybe he too can find success and stay Green.
