PHILADELPHIA -- Jamal Crawford is set to participate in the playoffs for the first time in his career, and he’s heating up at the right time for it.
After a statistical dip and an admitted mental slump following the All-Star break, Crawford’s production is back up. His 20.5 points per game scoring average in the 13 March games before Friday is his highest of any month, as is his 47.2 shooting percentage. Even his rebounding average of 3.2 entering Friday is his best of any month.
Crawford has been noticeably more aggressive attacking opponents when fending off picks.
“That just opens up so much, not just for me but my teammates,” Crawford said. “I know where [Josh Smith] is going to be, where Al [Horford] is going to be. It creates some kind of mismatch or confusion, and that’s what you want as an offensive player.”
Crawford still attributes his slump to missing a game before the All-Star game, which ended up being more than a week off with the break. Hawks coach Mike Woodson said it also was the symptom of a long season.
“Guys go through some low points of the season, especially when you are a scorer,” Woodson said. “It’s not easy to go out and score every night, especially when the defense is geared to stop you. He was struggling, [but] he’s kind of found his stride again.”
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