Q&A: Jamal Crawford on Clipps, Sonics, Top Defenders

Jamal Crawford of the L.A. Clippers was recently a guest on the Basketball Insiders Podcast. Alex Kennedy and Michael Scotto interviewed Jamal and the Q&A can be found below. To the listen to the podcast in its entirety, click the play button above.

Question: Let’s start off talking about this season. You and I, in the past, have talked about the continuity that this Clippers team has. Not many teams have a core that’s been together for so many years. Where is your guys’ chemistry level at now and how comfortable are you guys playing with each other this point after so many years?

Crawford: “I think we’re very comfortable. Obviously, with injuries, it’s part of the game and you hate to see it, but we just have to hold down the fort until everyone gets back. With the chemistry we have with our core guys, we’re very familiar with each other. We’ve been through all kinds of wars together, all kinds of battles together, we know where each other are supposed to be on the court, we know how to communicate with each other, and I think all of those things are important. The first part of the season, we started off great. We had everybody healthy. The last few weeks we’ve had some injuries, especially our two top guys, so we’re just trying to hold down the fort until they get back to keep that chemistry rolling.”

Question: When you guys are fully healthy, you have Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and yourself, and you have deeper bench now. When you put all of those components together and you look at the Western Conference with the Spurs and the Warriors’ star-studded quartet that everybody talks about, where do you feel you guys fit in that mix when you’re fully healthy?

Crawford: “When we’re fully healthy, I think we’re just as good as anybody. I really believe that. Obviously, the Spurs are the gold standard and have been for the last 15 years, Golden State has had a tremendous run the last few years, and other teams are on the rise as well. But, when we’re healthy and right and playing at our very best, I feel like we’re built to play against anybody. We believe that as well. We just have to continue to go out and prove it and prove it when it counts and, obviously, that’s the playoffs.”

Question: Obviously, you’ve been Sixth Man of the Year multiple times and everyone knows what you can do off the bench. Austin Rivers was brought back too. But you guys also made some additions such as Raymond Felton and Marreese Speights. How good is this bench now? In the past, Doc Rivers always wanted to stagger the starting players and it seemed like there were very few guys on that bench that he could trust, outside of yourself and Austin. Now, having so many guys that can contribute, how much easier is it for you and how good is this bench?

Crawford: “Well, the bench is as deep as it’s been, obviously, and I think you have guys who all have had success on some level in the NBA. Guys are very competitive and, to be honest, we have a lot of scorers in that group. We have myself, you have Austin, you have Raymond, you have Mo, and then you have Wesley [Johnson], Brandon Bass, those guys do a good job of filling whatever role is needed that particular night. But, the first four guys are much more offensive minded. I think that’s a plus because, for me, it’s not just about me being Sixth Man of the Year again or being the main focus. I think more so in the past, it was me attacking off the bench and that was pretty much it. Now, I’d say we’re attacking as a group, when fully healthy, and I think that that’s dangerous for teams to scout against.”

Question: You obviously know a thing or two about putting the ball in the hole. Just recently, you passed Jason Kidd for number 78 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and I know that you’re a historian of the game. I’m going to take you away from the Clippers a little bit and just ask you more of an individual question. When you look at your career, how would you summarize your accomplishments to this point and has your career turned out better than you would have thought it would on your first day in the NBA?

Crawford: “When you first come into the NBA, you feel like you can conquer the world, so to speak. Everybody wants to be a star, everybody wants to go back to their neighborhood like, ‘You see what I’m doing out there?! I’m a star among stars,’ because, obviously, the NBA has the best players in the world. For me, I felt like, being a lottery pick going to a team, I thought I could play right away. To be honest, I just wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready physically, I wasn’t ready mentally, I had a lot of maturing to do. I didn’t play much my first year. Second year, going into that year, I was working out with Michael Jordan, tore my ACL, hurt my knee, so I basically missed that year. The third year I came back and we drafted Jay Williams from Duke and he had a lot of hype and was a really good player there, coming out as one of the top college players, so I had to wait my turn there. Then my fourth year was when I got steady, steady minutes, where I knew I was going to play a certain amount every single night, and my game started to grow. By my eighth or ninth year, I think the ninth year, I said, ‘Okay, I’m tired of losing, I’ll be a sixth-man.’ So, that’s not how I projected my career to go, but I think it’s turned out to be very unique, it’s been very cool and it’s obviously still going. It’s not what I thought it would be, but it’s been better in some ways as well. I think it’s been very, very unique. I think it’s been one of the most unique careers for sure.”

Question: You’ve been one of the most successful sixth men in NBA history. I think a lot of guys that take on that bench role point to you and say, ‘I want to have that kind of impact.’ As you look around the league, who are some of the up-and-coming sixth men that people should have an eye on? Who are some guys who have stood out to you as being talented sixth men who may be able to take the torch from you whenever you’re done winning all of these awards?

Crawford: “I think some of the younger guys. I think Will Barton is a really good player. I think he’s up and coming for sure. I think Brandon Knight, I think he’s going through a transition with the role right now because, obviously, he’s been starting his whole career. I think he could be a really good sixth man. Obviously, Lou Williams has been a perennial great sixth man for years – he’s won Sixth Man of the Year. I think Eric Gordon, this year, has been phenomenal. I think they’re really featuring him when he comes off the bench, they’re really going to him. I feel like he is like I was in Atlanta my first year. Joe Johnson was our best player and he’s a perimeter player just like James Harden is for Houston, but [Gordon] is their second guy, he’s the second leading scorer. So I think there’s a lot of good sixth men out there and I think, right now, you see more people buying into that role. I think it’s kind of cool to be a sixth man now and that’s cool in itself, to have that kind of effect. Everybody wants to start, but I think it’s important to understand the bigger picture. Also, a lot of good sixth men can go somewhere else to start and now they’re closing games as well.”

Question: In years past we’ve seen guys like James Harden, when he was with OKC, get to the NBA Finals. Manu Ginobili was a guy who’s come off the bench and won a title. For you, if you were able to win a championship at some point during your tenure with the Clippers, coming off the bench, do you think that that’s something you really need on your resume, in a sense, to really justify that coming off the bench was the right way to go about trying to win a title?

Crawford: “I’m comfortable in my own skin from the standpoint that I don’t really need it to validate anything, but it would be really, really cool. That’s the pinnacle, winning a championship. That’s what you play for and I feel like, for me, that’s the most important thing and, really, the only thing left in my career to accomplish. The time of trying to be an All-Star, I think those years are in the past. I have a bigger goal now and that’s to try and win a championship. To win a championship, knowing that feeling, I won a championship in high school and that’s my best basketball memory. Knowing how that felt, I think winning one in the NBA would be 100 times as cool. That’s definitely what we’re playing for.”

Question: I’m curious about this so I want to ask you. Whenever the whole DeAndre Jordan saga was going on, there was a lot of talk about Chris Paul and his leadership. I think Chris is one of the best leaders in the NBA, he’s not afraid to bark at anyone, he holds guys accountable, he’ll grab your jersey, etc. But I think, during that period, there was some talk about Chris maybe being too intense and needing to change his leadership style for certain players. Have you seen any kind of change in Chris’ leadership? Does he approach certain players differently now and was that a learning experience for him? Or is he still the same Chris that we all know?

Crawford: “He’s the same Chris. I think, as you get further in the league, you evolve. For him, he’s definitely evolving, he’s trying to do whatever it takes to win every single night. But he knows that’s his style of leadership and we know and understand that and respect it, but he also has a certain patience with him as well about getting his message across. In the heat of the moment? Yeah, he may grab your jersey, he may yell at you, but it’s all coming from the same place of just trying to win. It’s not anything to embarrass you, it’s not anything to put you on front street or anything like that. It’s about him saying, ‘Look, we need to get this done.’ And he doesn’t mind if you do it to him either, so that makes it fair all the way around.”

Question: Jamal, who were some of the better leaders that you’ve had as a teammate over the course of your career and guys that helped make their teammates better?

Crawford: “I would say Chauncey Billups is great. I would say Malik Rose is great. I think Allan Houston was great. I’ve had so many great teammates, so I don’t want to forget anyone. I thought Rick Brunson was great, early in my career, Charles Oakley, all those guys. I don’t want to leave anybody out. There’s some great, great people. Grant Hill was unbelievable. Paul Pierce is great right now. I’ve had some great teammates, especially great veteran guys that had high levels of success and that won championships, leading the way over the years.”

Question: Now, you’re a guy who is known for scoring the basketball. As Michael mentioned, it seems like you can embarrass anyone and get to the basket. Who are some of the defenders that you’ve had the toughest time against? The guys that, when you’re matched up against, you’re like, ‘Damn, this is going to be a little bit more difficult.’ Are there certain defenders that stand out like that?

Crawford: “Oh yeah. I think Tony Allen is a great defensive player. I thought Doug Christie was a great defensive player. Bruce Bowen. Kawhi [Leonard] is obviously a great defensive player. I think Garrett Temple is an underrated defensive player. I just mentioned two guys we’re about to play against, but I’ve got to be honest. (Laughs) Avery Bradley’s a really good defensive player. There’s some really good defenders out there, but, especially now, with the rules, it’s more team defense. If guys can funnel you this way or shade you that way, they know the help is going to be there and the Spurs are one of the best teams at doing that.”

Question: Jamal, you’re also known as a guy who can handle the rock. I’m curious, from your perspective, being that you’ve been in the league for a while, who are some of the better ball handlers that you’ve seen, along with yourself, that could get a shout out from myself on ‘Crossover of the Night’ on Twitter?

Crawford: “Absolutely Kyrie Irving. You have Chris Paul, you have Steph Curry, you have Tyreke Evans. I think Isaiah Thomas has a mean handle. Deron Williams, over the years, has had some crazy handles. Kemba Walker is an underrated ball handler. There’s a lot.”

Question: Jamal, last question for you. We’ve talked a lot about this, how you want Seattle to have an NBA team. You’ve done a good job of bringing NBA players to your summer pro-am out in Seattle and I know this is something that’s important to you since you’re from Seattle. I know [Seattle Seahawks quarterback] Russell Wilson has gotten involved as well. How great would it be to see Seattle have a team before your career is over and, if that’s the case, could you see yourself possibly suiting up for Seattle as a way to end your career?

Crawford: “Well, I think getting a team back there is so important. When I was a kid, watching Gary Payton, watching Detlef Schrempf, watching Shawn Kemp, Vin Baker, they helped mold me and make my dreams a reality. I could go down to the stadium to watch those guys, and I could interact with them. Gary Payton was coming to my high school basketball games, so it made my dreams a reality, I could work out with him. I was like, ‘Oh, wow, I can work out with Gary Payton! When I go back to high school, I should dominate.’ It just gave me a level of confidence. Now, with these kids not having that, the closest they get a chance to see a Kevin Durant or a Blake Griffin or a Chris Paul or a Kyrie Irving is on TV or on NBA 2K. To see these guys in person is [huge]. That’s why I always ask the kids every year at my pro-am, who do you want to see? Then I try and go [get them to play]. I hate asking anybody for anything but, for these kids, I’ll ask any of these players to come. Most of the players have, honestly, volunteered and said, ‘I would love to come out there,’ so it makes it a lot easier. Kids come out every single weekend, and it’s a packed house. They’re seeing some of their favorite heroes right there in front of them and they’re interacting with them, they’re talking trash to them, giving them a smile, whatever it might be – that’s a moment that will stick with them forever and I know that because I was that kid when I was 15 or 16 years old and I still have those memories. That’s why we do it. Hopefully, the team gets back in Seattle. Right now, all I see is L.A. You never know how things work out, but I just hope I’m still playing by the time a team comes back there.”