Three NBA players I’d stake my reputation on (if I had one)

BY MATT LAFLEUR

I’m a passionate guy, just ask all the women I’ve romanced without the help of Guy LaFleur. Whether it’s a movie, TV show, song or athlete, we all have our favourites that we’ll defend to the death (sometimes to the detriment of our reputation). Last weekend I was at a wedding and had to defend Jersey Shore to someone who thought it was “low-brow.” Conversely, I had to defend the critical-darling The Hurt Locker to the woman I live with (my wife), who said it was just a stupid war movie. Most aggravating of all, I had to defend Bob Dylan to some dope who told me he wasn’t a good singer; for the record I responded with the same answer I gave my mom when she called during the Grammys asking what Beyonce sees in Jay-Z. “You’re missing the point.”

But every once in a while that show or band, or in this case athlete, will prove you right after years of defending his effort, selfishness and passion. For me, that guy is Jamal Crawford.

I love Jamal Crawford, always have. From the evening I watched him torch the Raptors at the ACC for 50 points as a member of the Bulls, to last Friday when he single-handedly beat the Celtics on national TV, thereby giving me the inspiration to write this article, I’ve always loved his game.

For years Crawford has been called a bad teammate, carrying the label of a “selfish gunner” who’s only looking for his own stats. But anyone who follows basketball knows that Jamal Crawford can score. Even my wife (that woman I live with) awoke off the couch long enough to call him graceful. You know what? She couldn’t have picked a better adjective to describe him. Sadly for Crawford, and my reputation, that grace was on display with the post-Jordan “Baby Bulls” in Chicago, the Knicks during the Isiah Thomas era, and last year with an intramural squad masquerading as a professional basketball club (the Golden State Warriors). It’s no surprise Crawford has never made the playoffs in his entire nine-year career.

But, when Atlanta traded for him last summer I instantly knew Crawford would give the Hawks that second option they’ve been missing. I told anyone who would listen that the Hawks would finally be able to do more in the playoffs than just scare a first round opponent. While that’s left to be seen, as of today the Hawks are sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, a game out of second, and more importantly, Crawford has finally reached his ceiling.

Sure he’s scored more than the 17.7 PPG he’s currently averaging — like the three straight seasons in New York when he dropped 20 points a game — but those buckets came in meaningless games and blowouts. This season his shooting percentage is a career high 46 per cent, a huge improvement from the 40 per cent he shot with the Knicks. He’s also the NBA’s leading scorer off the bench and should cruise to the 6th Man of the Year award. Thanks Jamal, you’re making me look like a genius (although it’s too bad that bastard Steve Starr didn’t get off his ass and start this site five years ago).

Crawford isn’t alone, look at Zach Randolph in Memphis and the Bobcats’ Stephen Jackson. Randolph, a certified knucklehead over the first nine years of his career, just earned his first All-Star appearance while Captain Jack’s in the process of leading the Charlotte to its first playoff berth in franchise history; this after starting the year with that very same intramural squad, the Golden State Warriors.

What do these three former head cases have in common? Not only do they all have the balls required to take a game-winning shot in crunch time, each one of them went to the perfect team to display that ability. Now, even all-star Joe Johnson takes a back seat to Crawford in the final seconds.

While these guys used to be stuck on crummy teams with bad teammates (excluding the one-year Jackson spent in San Antonio where he, of course, won a ring), now they’re thriving on playoff teams. Which got me thinking. What other guys, if put in the right situation, could change the way we look at their careers forever?

Thaddeus Young (SF) – Drafted 12th overall by the 76ers in the 2007 NBA Draft

Thad’s on the list because although he’s only in his third season, the constant losing in Philly might turn him into one of those guys who ends up protecting his stats at the cost of his team. When your number one option is Andre Iguodala, a max-salary player who hasn’t done anything in five years to help the Sixers win games, you know it has to be tempting for Young to jack up shots. However, if he could somehow find his way on to a contender, suddenly his game would become very useful.

Who couldn’t use a young 6-foot-8 slasher with size who gets to the free throw line and doesn’t need a ghastly amount of shots to score? Averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 steals  in only 33 minutes per game, Young has the ability to match-up defensively with any SG or SF in the NBA. Veteran teams with a true franchise guy like San Antonio or Phoenix would be the perfect fit.

Troy Murphy (C/PF) – Drafted 14th overall by the Warriors in 2001 before being dealt to the Pacers in 06/07 in an 8-man trade that, ironically enough, included Stephen Jackson.

His ability to stretch the floor and Indiana’s inability to lure more than 4,000 fans to a game have made Murphy one of the hottest names on the trade market. Another guy who’s never sniffed the postseason — that’s what nine years of playing for the Warriors and Pacers will do to your career — Murphy’s 3-PT shooting and underrated rebounding are squandered on a team destined for the lottery.

This season he’s averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 49 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from beyond the arc. Murphy should be begging Larry Bird to send him to Cleveland where he would open the floor for LeBron and create the type of mismatch that Big Z’s corpse no longer can. Having both Shaq and Murphy in the line-up would allow Cleveland to go big or small depending on the opponent. A “small” line-up consisting of the 6-foot-11 Murphy at center, ‘Bron at PF and three shooters to spread the floor would work beautifully against any team lacking a dominant big man, while a big frontline of Shaq, Murphy, LeBron and two shooters in the backcourt would match-up nicely with Boston or Orlando. Of course they’ll probably go after someone like……

Corey Maggette (SF/SG) - Drafted 13th overall in 1999, spent eight years with the Clippers before signing with the Warriors (why is it always the Warriors?!!) before the 08/09 season.

If you read my first article for The Steve Network, you’ll know I suggested that Bryan Colangelo trade for Maggette as a “do-over” for signing Hedo Turkoglu. What you don’t know is that if Jamal Crawford is my Elin Nordegren, then Corey Maggette is my Rachel Uchitel. Maggette’s heard much of the same criticism that’s lingered around Crawford and Jackson like a stale fart. “A selfish gunner who doesn’t get it,” but can anyone really “get it” playing eight years for the Los Angeles Clippers?

I say, no. Bad coaching, bad teammates, catastrophic injuries and an owner who’d rather turn a profit than win have all contributed to the Clip making the playoffs once since 1997. With career averages of 17 points and 5 rebounds per game, Maggette is one of the best players in the league when it comes to getting to the stripe. He has 3-point range and experience coming off the bench, which he’s done in one-third of his career games played. To think he would be too selfish or develop an attitude if a contender asked him to accept a role as a third or fourth option (even as a 6th Man off the bench) is crazy.

In the East, teams like the Celtics, who are looking older by the minute, and the Magic, who look like a shadow of the squad that went to last year’s NBA Finals, would be foolish not to pursue a trade with the Warriors. Golden State would be more than happy to get an expiring contract in return. And if his new team is worried about Maggette’s defensive warts, look no further than last season’s Magic squad. If Orlando can play Hedo Turkoglu in crunch-time and hide his lack of defence all the way to the Finals, doing so with Maggette would be a cinch.

None of these players are bad guys. If Rasheed Wallace, who’s worn the crown of “King Knucklehead” for most of his career, can find redemption (the title he won with the Pistons before growing larger breasts than Phil Mickelson), who’s to say Corey Maggette, Troy Murphy and Thaddeus Young can’t do the same. In fact, I’d stake my reputation on it. Oh, right.

For The Steve Network, I’m Matt LaFleur.

(Steve Starr would like to point out that the opinions held by Matt Lafleur are his and his alone. He’d also like to point out that Matt LaFleur is not the son of Guy, and therefore, has never been dropped off at a hotel by his father to have sex with a minor. Glad we cleared that up.)