Hawks rookie Crawford out to prove he's more than just a talent

By Michael Cunningham

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

There are open questions about Jordan Crawford's attitude, his defense, and his ability to adjust to life as a rookie role player in the NBA.

One thing everyone agrees about is Crawford has lots of talent. And that's not an after-the-fact assessment because the Hawks acquired Jordan in the first round of the NBA draft last month.

It was obvious to Kelvin Sampson when he was recruiting Crawford out of Hargrave Military Academy.

“The first thing that jumped out was his talent level,” said Sampson, Crawford's coach at Indiana and now an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. “He was just gifted.”

Crawford's talent was clear when he held his own in practices against Eric Gordon, Indiana's more-heralded freshman in 2007-08.

“He was good,” said Gordon, now a starting guard for the Clippers. “He's competitive. When he has his mind right, he's ready to go hard at anybody. For me, he was one of the most difficult players to match up with, just as athletic as anybody out there. And he can play all day.”

Crawford ended up transferring to Xavier after one season at Indiana. Before he played a game for the Musketeers, he gained fame for dunking on LeBron James during a summer game.

Then Crawford tore up the Atlantic 10 conference, and more people started to notice that Crawford can play. It reached a crescendo in the NCAA tournament in March.

Crawford scored 28 points against Minnesota, 27 against Pittsburgh and 32 against Kansas State in a memorable double-overtime loss.

“What I was doing all year wasn't really getting noticed because we weren't really on national TV,” Crawford said. “That was a chance to show the whole world what I can do.”

So everyone saw that Crawford is good, but that's just a starting point in the NBA, where everyone is good. If Crawford were joining a lottery team, then his talent alone would assure him of significant playing time.

But the Hawks don't have minutes to spare on players who can't help them become Eastern Conference contenders. Crawford will have to show the Hawks he can contribute, starting with a minicamp at Philips Arena on Friday and continuing with the Las Vegas summer league next week.

Crawford is supremely confident in his abilities, which is no surprise for a gifted 21-year old with a competitive streak.

“I think there shouldn't be a player better than me when I step on the court,” he said. “I've just got to have confidence as a player. But it's going to take some time. I'm not just going to run in there [with the Hawks] and be me. I'm going to take time to mature and learn from the other players who have been there.”

Jordan Crawford has a lot to prove on a team where Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Mo Evans, Mike Bibby and Jeff Teague are ahead of him in the pecking order at guard. He said he already knows what that's like.

When he showed up at Indiana he realized he wasn't the best player on a team with Gordon and D.J. White, who was Big Ten Player of the Year.

“I just learned that it takes more than talent,” Crawford said. “I had been going off talent my whole life.”

The lessons didn't end there. Sampson said Crawford “was a great kid to coach” at Indiana but could be moody at times. Sampson suspended Crawford three games for violating team rules.

When Crawford got to Xavier, he said he tried too hard to prove he was “the best player in college” but ended up being too wild on the court. Xavier coach Chris Mack benched Crawford for the start of a December game against Cincinnati.

“When he's the best player, the most talented player, he needs to set the tone not just in games but in practice," Mack said.

Xavier players considered the benching to be a turning point for Crawford and the team. The Musketeers rolled from there, and Crawford credited Mack with helping him to take “three or four steps as a person.”

Crawford's play in the NCAA tournament caught the attention of NBA scouts. The Hawks traded their No. 24 pick to New Jersey and then selected Crawford at No. 27.

Now Crawford goes from being a star to trying to get off the bench.

“It's going to be tough for him, simply because he's very competitive, just like anyone who gets a roster spot in the NBA,” Mack said. “But I wouldn't be surprised if he did earn minutes. Basketball is really important to him, and he's a quick learner.”

There's little doubt about Crawford's scoring ability, but now he will have to play defense. Mack said Crawford has the physical potential to be a good defender, but needs to work at it.

Crawford also will have to prove he can score by playing off Hawks veterans, after being the focal point at Xavier.

“I did that at Indiana. I did that on AAU teams,” Crawford said. “I think people have the wrong idea about me. They think I need the ball and need all of the attention, but I've been a complementary player all of my life.

“Really, I have no choice to do that [with the Hawks]. How would I look coming on that team and trying to do it the same way as I did [at Xavier]?”