I just posted about this in a separate thread about fans' concern over the Bulls win being worth little to longitudinal success because he doesn't appear to be driving much anymore...

So, I went to look at his numbers to see if there was any support for this observation and you can clearly see that there is. In terms of stats that seem correlated to penetration and creating from it, (going to the free throw line, and assist totals) that if you compare the first 3 games -- where we were playing pretty good ball -- to the games to follow there is a pretty significant observable difference. It's like he has been two different players. If one tries to forget consistency as a factor for a second (I know this is a deus ex machina with Jamal), and just looks at the numbers, they tell us he's stopped doing it even if you haven't watched a game after the first Denver game.

- He went to the line 8 times in each game against the Cavs, T-Wolves and Nuggets. Since then he has not went to the FT line more than 5 times, with the mode being 4 FT's/per game and the average/mean being 3 FT's/per game.

- He also had assist totals of 6, 7, & 8 in those first 3 games (averaging 7 assists/per game), and has since the only had 5 twice (his max), and an average/mean of 4.1 assists/per game with the mode being 4.

This is a small sample size of games where he had those good numbers, which I know will be considered to be consistency to many, but he was penetrating and creating off it earlier and one wonders if this kind of shift is more about changing the way one plays, consciously, or is it that he just forgot? Is the coaching staff talking to him about this or was this a directive from Isiah and the coaches?

Well, if it was a directive, then it certainly hasn't helped us win any games, and in fact may have had the exact opposite effect, no? Was he dominating the ball too much with Z-Bo and Curry? Didn't seem that way to me, and in fact his new approach was considered a reason why we were looking good early on as a potential offensive powerhouse, as tomverve mentioned in his 4 factors analysis.

So why aren't the coaching staff encouraging him to do it? Or are they? If they are I'm lost on what's going on, or Jamal is lost...haha. I think he has shown a track record of being pretty good at trying to listen to coaches, although his urge to chuck haven't been completely purged, so I'm just confused.

Only thing I can think of is that there is so much pressure to dump it into Curry or Zach that Craw simply can't do this, or is afraid to. This is what bothers me about overemphasizing post play sometimes. It drove me crazy later in the Ewing years, (and reason why I do not want JVG back since he loves black hole offenses) and now it may be what is happening now, because we are not utilizing the abilities of players who were helping us win games.

Curry's numbers are probably driving this logic, but we are also not winning or looking cohesive as a unit (perhaps even more important). Other factors need to be considered, that by involving Craw in what he likes and succeeds at (within reason) that this can allow him to feel more confidence and play stronger at the other end of the floor. Maybe it just generates excitement in general, and that becomes contagious.

In other words, with a team that has a hard time being consistent in intensity on offense and especially defense, perhaps finding ways to uplift other players' games on offense that are sensible correlates to effort in other areas. Seems like something worth considering, and I wish Isiah and the coaching staff realize this possibility.

Great post, I have always said Craw was a key to us winning. Post guys will get to the line and get chippies, but Craw has to be consistant. We did he have today, 5 points??!?!?

plus, while evaluating this team, this season, the denver game is an example of EVERYTHING going right for the team...from motivation, to coaching, to offensive execution. but you remove that game from the equation, inconsistent performance vs. cle, not an impressive showing vs. minny, then same old same old vs. orlando & miami before the craziness happened.

so drawing stats for those first 3 games may not really be a good measuring stick.

Couldn't agree more djsu. We are a team that needs many things to go right in order to win, which may be asking too much.

I admit that was a small sample size for statistics, but I think we could see that he was driving more in those games, and have not since.

Posted by Killa4luv:

Great post, I have always said Craw was a key to us winning. Post guys will get to the line and get chippies, but Craw has to be consistant. We did he have today, 5 points??!?!?

I have also but in a different way: Why you put your chances of winning on an inconsistent player then you're going to be a pretty bad team. Isiah had Crawford as last year's #1 option. He handled the ball the most and took the most shots. It's a pretty big reason why we were such an up and down team.

You CANT bank on an inconsistent player! You do, you're going to be inconsistent.

Crawford needs to have more games like Utah where he's just a bailout option. You make him your #1 or #2 and you're going to lose more games than you win.

Anyone who believes he will ever "get it" and have more than a couple good games here and there just isn't following along his 7+ years of consistently inconsistent play.

Keep on phasing him out. I said it during the Utah game: We looked better featuring Zach and Marbury - far better than any time we feature Crawford and Curry.

Isiah had it WRONG in 06/07:

1. Crawford
2. Curry
3. Marbury
4. Frye (bailout)

NO!

Now, 07/08:

1. Zach
2. Marbury
3. Curry
4. Crawford (bailout)

THATS the ticket right there. Not saying we'd be a great team because I don't think it's possible but in terms of who we have and how to use them THAT gives us the BEST chance to win games.

Knicks got beat on non-carry calls in a couple games early in the season, which is maddening considering how often they called it on Craw.

Ira, I feel that your point is correct in that we certainly need better guards/guard play. I wonder that if the Knicks had a better two guard who penetrates, shoot and pass a bit if we would be that much better of a team.

Randolph and his 10-16 shooting night held us in this game not Crawful who started out 1-8 and finished 10-24.

My god when will the love fest end with this no defense and-1 chucker?

Yeah, some captain, that's why about a week ago when the team was in a huddle David Lee had to leave the huddle, walk down to where Crawford was sitting, tell him to get up, and then Crawford got up and went to the huddle and started acting like a Captain.


Gimme a break.
5-10 after squeaking by in 3 games at home and the parade route is being planned.

Jamal is the missing link. We need him and if Q was added to the equation, this would be a very good team. I can't tell if it was something Isiah said to Jamal that made him stop attacking or if it's just him. I have the feeling that it was something that Isiah said that made him feel that he needed to look for the bigs early and often and that has had him playing with a lack of aggression.

We need our guards to be aggressive. Steph, Jamal, Q and Nate. Fred Jones was aggressive on both ends and it made a huge difference. I think Isiah makes a mistake in thinking that all we have to do now is dump it down. Yeah we need our bigs to score, but they're not passing bigs and all this does is make our offense come to a stop. Let Jamal loose but with an attack the basket mentality. Last night Isiah called Jamal's number and it paid off. We need him to stay in that mindset. Just like the 1st 3 games.

I think No would have been easier.

We won, JC was basically the offense in the forth, He did a good job guard Mo taylor and Bell. He did a good job guarding Redd, making him make alot of tough shots(The only damn thing Q does and gets handed jobbed by alot of knicks fans around here for doing). 42 percent for the game is bad now??? Who cares what he started out as, are we judging games in halves now??? Hope you tell that too alot of the scorers around the league that shoot that percentage day in and out orstart out slow....

Yeah it would just be easier to say no, I can't look at the win and the game as a whole. Then read from page 18 or 28, I forget where the I hate JC mantra starts in the text.

[Edited by - Anji on 12-01-2007 1:44 PM]