Crawford ‘ecstatic’ to be with Hawks

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Select guard Jeff Teague in the NBA draft. Check.

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Jamal Crawford, who will wear No. 11 with the Hawks, has two years and $19 million remaining on his contract.

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Trade for veteran guard Jamal Crawford. Check.

Re-sign Mike Bibby? And Flip Murray? And Zaza Pachulia? Keep your shirt on.

First things first. Crawford was officially introduced as a member of the Hawks Monday following his predraft trade from the Golden State Warriors for Speedy Claxton and Acie Law IV. General manager Rick Sund and coach Mike Woodson both referred to Crawford as another piece in the puzzle, but praised the guard for his scoring ability.

“We won’t really know until you get all the pieces in place but I’ve got a feel of what [Crawford] can do from watching him over the years,” Woodson said. “I know from an offensive standpoint, he’s going to fit right in. I never try to take anything away from a player that’s his strength. In that regard, there are a lot of things I can do with him on the basketball court offensively.

“Defensively, we’ll sit down and go over our philosophy with him. It’s not going to be that difficult because he’s played for Larry Brown [with the New York Knicks], so the transition of him flowing right into what we do defensively should be pretty easy.”

Crawford, who averaged 19.7 points a game last season — including a 50-point game — cautioned not to label him as just an offensive player.

“I think I can score really well. I think I can pass really well,” Crawford said. “Once you score a lot of points, you kind of get put in a box that you are a scorer.”

Asked if he could play point guard if needed, Crawford said, “No problem at all. I’d do it with a smile.”

Crawford is the only certain component currently in the backcourt, with Bibby and Murray both unrestricted free agents and Claxton and Law both departed. Back-up center Pachulia is also a free agent. Woodson would like to see all three back, especially after how his team was swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Because we brought Jamal in does not mean that Bibby and Flip have been kicked to the curb,” Woodson said. “My first priority has always been, when we ended the year, we had to bring this whole mix back because we ended the season with a bad feeling, not really knowing what we could do because of the injuries we had during that Cleveland series.

“Had we been healthy and got swept in four, then you can easily judge it. It’s hard to judge that team when Al Horford can’t move, Marvin Williams can’t shoot and Joe Johnson is struggling on a bad ankle. It’s not easy to judge a team that way. Bibby and Flip and Zaza are a bigger part of this equation than you can ever imagine.”

Sund said that the offseason is a process, often a long one.

“I don’t know how long the process will take,” he said. “You’ve got to juggle four or five balls at once and keep them going. You’ve got a pecking order, but there are a lot of things going at once.”

Crawford, who will wear No. 11, has two years and $19 million remaining on his contract. He had an out clause this year but signed an agreement that he would not opt out of his contract. That’s how much the 29-year-old, who has yet to play in the postseason, wanted a fresh start with the Hawks.

“First when I got traded to Golden State, coach [Don] Nelson said I was a guy that he wanted to end my career there,” Crawford said. “Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. We never got into it, there was never a beef. He just thought that Monta [Ellis] and I were very similar and they already invested six years in him. I totally understand that. There are no hard feelings.

“Looking forward, I’m ecstatic. They could have sent me anywhere. To come to an up-and-coming team, a team that went to the second round of the playoffs, they were fun to watch… . I’m happy to be here and be a part of it.”