| Grading The Deal: Crawford Adds To The Glut Of Shooting Guards Authored by Christopher Reina - November 21, 2008 - 3:24 pm
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Two of those shooting guards, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette, have been recently signed to contracts that will keep them with the Warriors until the summer of 2013.
One of the others, Kelenna Azubuke, was signed to a three-year deal this summer after they matched an offer sheet he inked with the Clippers.
The fourth shooting guard, Anthony Morrow, is a 6-5 undrafted rookie that has much of the NBA buzzing.
Their best shooting guard, Monta Ellis just had screws removed from his surgically repaired ankle this week and is getting ready to return.
On Friday, they decided that five was not quite enough.
The Warriors acquired Jamal Crawford from the Knicks in exchange for Al Harrington, who was desperate to free himself of Don Nelson and no longer had a home here (not that he ever really did) in any way, shape or form.
Crawford is a combo guard in the truest sense of the word and is streakier than he is talented, though he is certainly talented. Because he is an excellent ball handler and can run the point, he is a good backcourt mate to pair with Ellis.
He is a good perimeter shooter, hitting 45.5% of his 3-point attempts (career 34.8% however), and he also is extremely gifted off the dribble. He is below average defensively, but the Warriors are accustomed to those type of players and he is quick enough (mentally and physically) to actually do well in their zone schemes.
This season, Crawford has produced 1.8 more points per 100 possessions than the Knicks do as a team. He was 5.3 points better than the Knicks were as a team last season.
I've always loved Nelson's irreverence for convention, but just because a four shooting guard lineup works one time against the Blazers it does not mean long term success. To have five of your six best players be shooting guards feels like one undersized poisoned apple.
In the long-run, which it will have to be because of their salary cap inflexibility, this team looks good enough to just barely miss the playoffs annually.
Grade for Warriors: B-
In terms of a talent-for-talent, fit-for-fit swap, the Warriors did very well. But Crawford has an additional year on his contract than Harrington and his acquisition will ultimately result in an additional one somewhere down the road. I don't see how the Warriors can afford to pay four shooting guards each an average of about $10 million annually. |
