Knicks with a knack

Nate, Jamal let guard down

BY EBENEZER SAMUEL
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Jamal Crawford leaned against the fence at Rucker Park on Wednesday, shaking hands with players and fans and tugging at his oversized T-shirt. A fan walked past him, cautioning him not to play too hard.
"Don't forget, Jamal," the man said. "You play for the New York Knicks."

Not in Rucker Park he doesn't. As Crawford and fellow Knick and streetball mate Nate Robinson know, Rucker ball is a different brand of basketball. "This is where you work on your game," Crawford said. "You get better, break out some new stuff."

That's what Crawford and Robinson did while playing for their Seattle team in Rucker's EBC America Classic. After a trying NBA season, both were happy to play Rucker's looser game.

Here, nobody takes issue with their shot selection. And they can't get benched. "Here," said Crawford. "I sub myself out."

Rucker is about hype and highlights, not coaches and boxscores. Crawford and Robinson are fan favorites. Seattle was loaded with stars — unflappable McDonald's All-America Spencer Hawes, Portland Trail Blazers' first-round swingman Brandon Roy and former Washington Huskie point guard Will Conroy — but the local guys garnered the bulk of the attention.

And it wasn't just because they're Knicks. Both respect the history of Rucker. Crawford calls it "the true essence of basketball," and rattles off the names of former Rucker stars - Dr. J, Kobe, Pearl Washington. And Robinson constantly mentions that Rucker Park has "so much history."

The pair left their own impressions, too. In Rucker, Robinson is "Nate the Great," and Crawford is "True Essence." And, freed from Larry Brown's restrictive offense, both showed what they can do.

"Here, it's just outside basketball," said Robinson. "It's just plain basketball."

So against Los Angeles in the semis, Robinson launched seven treys - including two airballs - without fear of getting pulled. Twice, he isolated from his teammates and dribbled the entire shot clock away, trying to break down a double team. Even though he didn't score either time, he drew cheers.

In the 92-85 overtime victory, "Nate the Great" scored 28 points, grabbed eight boards and dished six assists, an output that would have made Isiah Thomas smile. He also had the highlight of the day, rising to slam an inbounds alley-oop in the third quarter.

"I just do stuff here off instinct," Robinson said. "When the fans get behind you, it's whatever happens happens."

Crawford sat most of the game, by choice. But when in the tight fourth quarter, he subbed himself in to defend Los Angeles star swingman Jerry Dupree. He promptly blocked his opponent's shot, crossed over on a helpless defender and finished a coast-to-coast layup. He finished with seven points, all in overtime. "Whatever it takes to win," he said. "I don't care about points or scoring records."

So do their opponents. Despite a lack of big names, Los Angeles played Seattle close throughout. But that's part of what Crawford enjoys about Rucker.

"It's not a bunch of guys picking up a paycheck," he said. "A lot of these guys are working jobs and blue-collar and they're playing here at night, so they're hungry."

At Rucker, "True Essence" and "Nate the Great" are hungry to win as well, but they have bigger priorities. So it didn't faze them when they lost to New York in the final, 110-108.

Said Robinson: "In the NBA, it's all about the team and teammates. Here, this is for the fans."



I am glad to see that Jamal is maturing. Instead of going out to Ruckers to jack up shots, he is taking a backseat and focusing on defense and doing the things it takes to win the game. Nate has to grow as a play-maker. He has a world of talent but is too shot happy. But I think he will mature in 2-3 years and be the heir apparent to Marbury.

As Crawford and fellow Knick and streetball mate Nate Robinson know, Rucker ball is a different brand of basketball. "This is where you work on your game," Crawford said. "You get better, break out some new stuff."

This statement rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I think this is what holds alot of atheletes back from reaching their full potential. Understanding what they have to do to improve, and the best way to achieve it. Rucker ball is for fun. I don't see Crawfords defense getting any better by playing there.

Posted by Andrew:

As Crawford and fellow Knick and streetball mate Nate Robinson know, Rucker ball is a different brand of basketball. "This is where you work on your game," Crawford said. "You get better, break out some new stuff."

This statement rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I think this is what holds alot of atheletes back from reaching their full potential. Understanding what they have to do to improve, and the best way to achieve it. Rucker ball is for fun. I don't see Crawfords defense getting any better by playing there.

Oh, I'm sorry I thought NBA ball was suppose to be fun too. I didn't know that was the case.

Need I remind you guys that Rucker is a style over substance league. You can't take what a player does in leagues like this seriously.

I think many people here overlooked the comments regarding Jamal coming in during the 4th quarter to get a key stop and layup. IMO it shows that he understands that basketball is about winning, not about PT or number of shots or style. I am sure these guys go to Ruckers to have fun and play around, but when the game is on the line, do you continue to play around or do you do the things that are needed to win the game. I thought it was interesting that the article suggests Jamal was focused on doing the things needed to win the game, which is the mindset I hope he brings in next year. Additionally, I am not troubled by the comments regarding working on their games. If you want to develop a new shot or move, what's wrong with going to Ruckers and trying it out against actual competition. I don't think these guys were saying that Ruckers was their sole method for working on their games this summer.

crawford's cross is sick, if he can work on that even more and use it to get to the hoop, then i'm all for him playing at rucker. he said he isn't just jacking up shots, and he improved in that area a lot last year. IMO he was our best player last season, so I trust/hope that he isn't going to regress

at this point, it's more on what people want to focus on...let's find the one quote that shows these guys are losers.

Get that out of your minds fellas...The suns and Dallas open basketball are the future of the nba...restricting hand checking and touching by the defender has turned the game into more of an open format where movement and passing is a benefit.

If saying the right thing is what makes a great player, then we are in a world of trouble.

Stop harping on what they say and start looking at what they do.

He didn't play all game, got his points in the overtime and made a key block.

But hey, ignore that and let's talk about his quote that was impromptu made at RUCKER PARK and was for the fans.

Dr J would roll over in his grave! If he were not still alive.

Actions speak louder than words.

Posted by TheGame:

I think many people here overlooked the comments regarding Jamal coming in during the 4th quarter to get a key stop and layup. IMO it shows that he understands that basketball is about winning, not about PT or number of shots or style. I am sure these guys go to Ruckers to have fun and play around, but when the game is on the line, do you continue to play around or do you do the things that are needed to win the game. I thought it was interesting that the article suggests Jamal was focused on doing the things needed to win the game, which is the mindset I hope he brings in next year. Additionally, I am not troubled by the comments regarding working on their games. If you want to develop a new shot or move, what's wrong with going to Ruckers and trying it out against actual competition. I don't think these guys were saying that Ruckers was their sole method for working on their games this summer.

I could care less if Nate or Jamal takes 1000000 shots and never passes the ball at the Rucker. I care about what they do for the Knicks. If they play individual ball at the Rucker and then team ball with us than more power to them. Don't read into this stuff it's just them having fun. As long as it doesn't carry over let them do whatever they want. They are grown men with a lot of free time they can't spend all their time working on their games.

As for the Jamal comment. I am a team first coach. I send my teams down to the playgrounds to work on their one on one games. There is a time and placae to work on your individal games and your team game. When you go to a park to play and noone is passing the ball you are wasting your time trying to work on the team game. That's when it's time to develop your skills. No harm, no foul.

Great Wilt story: Wilt pins a shot in the rucker years ago (way before my time) and tells the player "you in the NBA now!"

Guy next play snatches the ball in the air and tells Wilt: "you in harlem now %&^&*&)!"

At least craw and Nate weren't in DC shooting guns into the air near the white house like some NBA calibur players.

Guys how else do these guys prepare for the season? They have to play ball. Another thing nobody said was the game they played was just an isolated game. It was like a couple day thing. They do it every year. Baron davis and Gilbert arenas was out there last year I believe. Give all the drama a rest.

No need to defend these guys. It's just another attempt to create news when there isn't one. I'm sure these guys spoke to reporters for a little while and this is the quote they pulled. There is a reason for that.