WAS @ IND 7 PM EST - Continue the tank amidst opportunity

[DCZards]

but I would also add that perhaps we might apply some of the same
patience to Craw. We all see him take bad shots too often. No argument
there. But we need to look at who he is playing with. That's probably
why Witt has given him a lot of rope. I can still envision him as a 3rd
guard Vinnie Johnson type player who would be useful. He's not that
far from being a decent player after playing ~ a year of NBA ball.

+1

We on this board are pretty unanimously critical of Jordan the Chucker. But I continue to have hope for him. He's really a talented (and confident) kid that with maturity, a little reining in and better shooters around him could be a valuable scorer off the bench.

Fact is...Crawford is hands down the Zards best offensive weapon right now (I know that's scary). He's averaging 20 pts and shooting a little over 45% from the field the last 8-10 games. Not bad for a chucker.

[dandridge 10]

Beyond that I'm happy. Wall will figure it out. There are a few people here that do remember he's a 2nd year PG so struggles are to be expected.

Were competitive which is a nice step forward but winning too soon has it's disadvantages. Learning to win is the next step and I'm really looking forward to learning how to win next season with our top 3 pick in the fold.

+1

but I would also add that perhaps we might apply some of the same
patience to Craw. We all see him take bad shots too often. No argument
there. But we need to look at who he is playing with. That's probably
why Witt has given him a lot of rope. I can still envision him as a 3rd
guard Vinnie Johnson type player who would be useful. He's not that
far from being a decent player after playing ~ a year of NBA ball.

+2. I have actually been pretty pleased with how Wall has been playing, at least through 3 quarters of each game. I don't get the criticism of Wall's deferring to other teammates. I don't think he has overly deferred; I think, at least through three quarters, he has played under more control and has tried to get other teammates involved. That is a good thing. I actually think he has been managing the game better for the most part.

The problems have come in the 4th quarter, when the game is tight, and then Wall tries to do too much and forces things. I think Wall will improve in this aspect as he gains more experience. Not only is Wall only a 2nd year pro, but he also only played one year of college. The kid is still learning. I think people need to be patient. The kid is still averaging 8 assists on a team that doesn't have any reliable shooters. Just think how many assists the kid would average if he had more talent around him.

Regarding Crawford, I like his competitiveness and fire, but he is much more suited as an energy guy off the bench. He would be good in spurts, but his defense and chucking kill the team in crunch time. Watching the game, all I kept thinking is that if we had one stud "go-to-person" at the SG or SF spot that was also willing to pass and play defense, this team could be VERY good. Imagine if we had Harden instead of Crawford during cruch time.

Right now, the biggest problem with this team is that Wall and Crawford are expected to be those go-to guys in the 4th quarter, and they just aren't ready for it. They might not ever be...but that doesn't mean that they are bad players and can't serve a useful and important role on the team.

[dobrojim]

Right now, the biggest problem with this team is that Wall and Crawford are expected to be those go-to guys in the 4th quarter, and they just aren't ready for it. They might not ever be...but that doesn't mean that they are bad players and can't serve a useful and important role on the team.

+1 back at you

edit to add - it's not inconceivable that either one might become
a go to player in the next year or so. It's also possible they won't.
A year from now, we'll have a much better idea. They're both
quite inexperienced at this time. Maybe experience improves
them assuming they draw the right lessons from their experience.
If not, Wall should still be a pretty decent player and Craw may
be good enough to stick in the league for a while.

[tontoz]

Among 2s this season Crawford is 4th in usage rate and 59th in TS%.

[nate33]

Among 2s this season Crawford is 4th in usage rate and 59th in TS%.

Crawford has the 16th highest usage rate in the entire league. His usage rate is 28.0%

There are 33 players in the league who have a usage rate above 25%. Of those 33 players, Crawford ranks 32nd in ORtg. (Ahead of only Kemba Walker.)

[miller31time]

Among 2s this season Crawford is 4th in usage rate and 59th in TS%.

Crawford has the 16th highest usage rate in the entire league. His usage rate is 28.0%

There are 33 players in the league who have a usage rate above 25%. Of those 33 players, Crawford ranks 32nd in ORtg. (Ahead of only Kemba Walker.)

To be fair, he is a slightly different player now than at the start of the season.

Yeah, he's still high usage, low efficiency and still throws up some terribly questionable shots but it's nowhere near how bad it was in the beginning of the season when he was shooting around 30% from the field and had nowhere near the amount of court sense he has now.

I don't think it's being unrealistic to believe that the Crawford that's been playing the last two months is the Jordan Crawford you'll get on a consistent basis next season. How would that player compare to the other high usage players?

[Ruzious]

Crawford plays his guts out and makes some nice plays, but... his shot selection is still amazingly bad, and he dribbles around doing nothing far too often. I'm sure Wittman talks to him about it, but maybe he needs to make him follow a couple of rule like - no shooting in the first 15 seconds of the shot clock unless you're WIDE open, and no more than 5 dribbles before you pass or shoot.

[tontoz]

This month he is taking 16.1 shots per game (his previous high was 13.7) and is shooting 41.3% from the field, 25.8% from 3 (5.9 attempts).

I am not convinced that he is a different player now.

[montestewart]

And that is the criticism of Wall deferring (specifically to Crawford). It becomes 5 on 1 ball, and Wall just stands on the corner much of the time, not cutting, not faking, not setting picks, just standing by as the emergency reset, and much of the rest of the team does similar, not really expecting Crawford to pass. In fairness to Crawford, he does sometimes find the cutter to the hoop for the alley-oop, and sometimes that cutter is Wall, but overall it seems like a formula for a stagnant and inefficient offense that lives or dies on Crawford's shots.

[montestewart]

This month he is taking 16.1 shots per game (his previous high was 13.7) and is shooting 41.3% from the field, 25.8% from 3 (5.9 attempts).

I am not convinced that he is a different player now.

Crawford is shooting about 50% from 2 point range in the past month. Maybe he really just needs to cut down on his threes. Reminds me of Larry Hughes' production in DC. Too many 3s at a low percentage.