Draft Prospect: Jordan Crawford

[Bruno]

Height: 6-4
Weight: 195 lbs
Birthday: 10/23/1988
College: Xavier

DraftExpress
nbadraft

[mountainballer]

his mom declared he is going pro on twitter. this lady ("sportsmomsinc") is on a mission, so Crawford likely won't pull out. but he will have the same problems like his older brother Joe. (drafted by the Lakers #58 in 2008) talented, but not big enough for a NBA wing and not athletic enough to compensate. (seems as if Joe is playing in China now).

btw. Moms and Dads. reportedly the father of Daniel Orton is also omnipresent and I've read somewhere that Sylven Landesberg also has a father who is - let's say so: very actively pushing the career of his son.

[DesignatedT]

See this guy vs kansas state? now that was a performance!!!!

another wildcard.

[SpursTillTheEnd]

yes draft him ive been saying this dude is going to fit rite in with the spurs he can play d and he can shoot, oh yea and he dunked on lebron james

[duncan228]

Spurs in Preview: With the draft, an opportunity to build for the future
by Dan Oshinsky / KENS 5

A few players caught the Roundup’s eye this season:

Jordan Crawford -- 6'4'', Shooting guard, soph., Xavier

-What you need to know: He dunked on LeBron. He also has serious shooting range. He’s young, he’s not afraid to take a bulk of the shots and he’s very quick. In three NCAA Tournament games this year, he scored a combined 87 points. The question with Crawford is, Is he mature enough yet?

[jesterbobman]

Based on what Chad ford's been reporting, He was one of the big winners of a group workout in Minnesota. Could be moving up slightly if teams are looking for a shooter.

[Dro210]

Love this guy for some reason. Not the most complete game, but... He's a Cold-blooded shooter. The type that few exist.

[duncan228]

Jordan Crawford: ‘I Have A Lot More To Worry About Than Playing Against LeBron’
SportingNews

Last summer, Xavier guard Jordan Crawford created a stir when he dunked on league MVP LeBron James during an offseason camp. Crawford insists it was no big deal, but the story gained life amid reports that there were attempts to have video footage of the dunk destroyed. The incident gave Crawford some name recognition, but he earned the respect of scouts for his play on the floor this year — especially in the NCAA Tournament, when he averaged 29.0 points and led the Musketeers to the Sweet 16.

Sporting News’ Sean Deveney talked with Crawford about his draft prospects, his transfer to Xavier from Indiana and what advice he has gotten from his brother, Joe.

Sporting News: What went into your decision to come out this year?

Jordan Crawford: The main thing was, we had a successful season as a team. We made the Sweet 16. I got a lot of exposure. I played well throughout the season, and I was really consistent, and so I thought it was time for me.

SN: When you came in, after the transfer from Indiana, did you think you would be one-and-done at Xavier?

JC: No, not necessarily. I didn’t go into the season thinking I was going to leave right after. I went into the season just thinking I had talent to compete with the top guys, and the rest really just fell into place.

SN: Leaving Indiana, winding up at Xavier, what did you learn from that?

JC: I grew a lot as a person. I had to. I had five different coaches in three years, so you have to learn to adapt and adjust. More than my skill, it was just growing and maturing as a person and being in a situation where I don’t take anything for granted now.

SN: How much did the tournament help out your stock?

JC: Oh, that definitely helped me. In the tournament, I got in a nice a little groove there, and, you know, it was a great experience. It was the best time of my life.

SN: Your brother, Joe, had a brief stint in the NBA and has been in the NBDL. Has he been a good resource for you through this?

JC: Definitely. I am living with him in L.A., working out and all. He gives me advice every day. He said mainly, just give it your all during this process to try to impress a team. If you don’t get drafted in the first round or something, then there are harder decisions to make. But for now, I am giving it my all.

SN: What are you hearing about your stock?

JC: I am hearing late first round, but with a chance to push up. You never know with the draft. You can end up falling. So I am just trying to show how I can play and hope that I move up.

SN: Your last coach, Chris Mack, what did you take from your time with him. Obviously, you weren’t with him long.

JC: It was a good year with him. Coach Mack, this year, was really good with trying to get me to be consistent. I love him for that. He stayed on me in practices, made sure I got better in practices. He stayed on me all year and got me to understand, you have to be good every game, not just sometimes.

SN: All the moving around you had to do, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Life in the NBA can be a lot like that.

JC: It’s funny, there were a couple of teams that I interviewed with said that it’s not a bad thing that I went through that, because that is how it can be in the NBA. You can get traded. Your coach can get fired. A lot can happen, so it might turn out to be a good thing.

SN: What kind of player do you think you can be in the NBA next season?

JC: I think I can be a player who, if a coach wants instant offense off the bench, I can be that kind of player. I can come in and score. If I have the chance to compete for a starting job, of course, I am going to take it. And, down the road, I think I will be able to play some point guard.

SN: I know you get this all the time. But, are you looking forward to dunk on LeBron again?

JC: I do get that, it seems like every day, yeah. It’s funny, I think. But, no, obviously, I have a lot more to worry about than playing against LeBron. I want to get into the league first.

[Bruno]

http://www.freep.com/article/2010061...tons-prospects

Xavier guard Jordan Crawford of Detroit was en route to Memphis on Monday for a workout. He has worked out for the Bucks, Nets, Spurs, Timberwolves, Kings and Blazers.

[AFBlue]

Another good player to draft in a trade-back scenario. He's one of the better shooters and a solid athlete.

[Mr. Body]

I like him if he is on the board at 49, but people don't forget performances like the one he had against K-State. He'll be gone before that.

He's first round now.

[mountainballer]

I really would hate this pick at #20. Crawford is a nice shooter, but in all other categories I don't see him become a legit NBA player and he won't be able to play the combo role at NBA level. reminds me a bit about what (urk) Mason brought on the table.

[Chieflion]

Only way if he drops to 49 is because Nike confiscated all his scouting reports.

[duncan228]

NBA Draft: Is Jordan Crawford a First-Round Reach?
By Matt Moore

Over two-thirds of the players predicted to be drafted in the first round of Thursday's NBA Draft are forwards, according to the major draft sites.

Two-thirds. Two out of every three. I get the "best-player available" function, even if I largely think it's not only a useless endeavor in all but the rarest of cases and believe it's harmful for the players themselves. The teams have no responsibility to protect the player, but it still seems unnecessary to see a player wallow in purgatory at the end of a bench who could contribute immediately, simply because a team loaded at his position drafted him because he was the best guy there. But it's a part of NBA life, and a sound philosophy at its core.

But you would think that with two-thirds of the picks being considered bigs, that some of the better guard prospects might garner some more weight. Supply and demand, after all. Twenty out of 30 NBA teams can't all be in desperate need of big men, I don't care how much the age of the great center has declined. So that begs the question:

Why is Jordan Crawford dancing the tango with the second-round line?

Crawford is best known for being the kid in the "LeBron James Gets Dunked On (!)" tape. But after that he also became a force for Xavier. He finished averaging 20.5 points on 46.2 percent shooting. His other numbers were certainly "eh" (4 rebounds, 3 assists per game with 2.4 turnovers), but he's also the star player on a smaller school at shooting guard.

His NCAA Tournament performance was what vaulted him up the charts, averaging 29 points per game in three wins in March. He has great athleticism and the cliche-but-still-vital element of explosiveness. Want to know why that term is important? It's what separates O.J. Mayo from the elite category (along with his size which impacts him at both ends, but roll with me here).

Crawford has natural scoring ability, and the confidence to be a leader. Those are things that are almost impossible to develop in the NBA. His weaknesses are considerable, that's why he's a late first rounder. But they are all things that can be worked on with the right coaching staff. He has trouble with being a black hole, but we haven't seen him in the flow of an NBA offense with players that are better than him on the floor. He struggles with finishing at the basket, but if he can get to the rim, the rest will work itself out.

Crawford is currently hanging right around the second-round line, drifting between picks 23 and 36 on most, though he is trending up. Teams late in the draft will have their choice. Do they want the 18th best forward/center in a deep big-man draft without much elite level talent, or the pick of the litter of a lower-depth guard class. Crawford could end up as a steal for one of the teams who decides to chance it late. What he should not be, is a second-round pick.

[AFBlue]

Interesting tidbit from Chad Ford's latest mock draft on Crawford. He has them going #25 to the Grizzlies, but here's what he says in the write-up...

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...ckDraft-100622

Analysis: Crawford's stock has been slowly rising, and now he's in the mix with the Bulls at 17, the Celtics at 19, the Spurs at 20, the Blazers at 22 and the Wolves at 23.

Of all the prospects being talked about, Crawford is one that has actually worked out for the Spurs. He may be one-dimensional at this point, but that dimension (shooting) is a need for the Spurs.

[timvp]

The thing I like about Crawford is he wouldn't be afraid to shoot it. He's one of a couple of shooters in this draft that you can say that about. He'd be a little bit of a reach at 20 but his shooting would definitely fill a need.

[The Btown Spur]

I saw crawford play at IU 2 years ago and really liked him, he was young, and probably needed to mature, but it sounds like he has. I remember he was matched up against his older brother who played for kentucky, and Jordan looked like he was the older brother and took his bro to school. I wouldnt mind picking him at 20 since there is no way he drops to 49

[The Btown Spur]

"Jordan Crawford may also be in for an early night tomorrow; with sources saying he is the top player on San Antonio's board should they retain the 20th pick, which would have Crawford going higher than projected" - Hoops world.

[Shastafarian]

"Jordan Crawford may also be in for an early night tomorrow; with sources saying he is the top player on San Antonio's board should they retain the 20th pick, which would have Crawford going higher than projected" - Hoops world.

[AFBlue]

Hoopsworld has to be taken with a grain of salt, but Crawford has worked out for them and has been linked on more than one site as being a target for the Spurs. I definitely don't think it's a stretch that he's their guy at 20.

[The Btown Spur]

Agreed that hoopsworld may not be the most accurate source, but this isnt a bad choice for the spurs

[EricD]

Didn't this guy dunk over Bron?

James White with a jump shot??

Say it ain't so..


Where do I sign?

[Juanobili]

A LeBron stopper would be nice

[EricD]

A LeBron stopper would be nice

Takes 5 guys for that to happen.

No one guy in the universe can "stop" Lebron.

Get a clue

[Sissiborgo]

Great player and talented! We might be abel to make him do a little payback on LeBron again for the dunk that LeBron did on Duncan