Jamal Crawford was a good vet for the Phoenix Suns

His best days are behind him, though he did step up at times for the Phoenix Suns. What did he give the team this year, and what does his future look like?

Jamal Crawford was quite the controversial player this season with the Phoenix Suns. He could be used in team debates ranging from Igor Kokoskov’s rotation to veteran importance to the misdirection of the team to guard play. So just how should fans feel about Crawford?

To have expected Crawford to come in this season and contribute in a way that led to winning basketball would have been foolish. Crawford’s style of play, a shoot happy and inefficient scoring guard who is a below average defender, does not fit with modern trends for good basketball and with his age his best skill (scoring) has greatly declined.

Through some of the more difficult stretches during the year, Crawford received little love from fans. The team was worse with him on the court as Basketball Reference has his Box Plus Minus at -6.0. He took minutes away from younger players like De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo, and his veteran presence, the reason he was signed, did not look like it was teaching the team winning ways.

Crawford was flat out not good, but neither was Phoenix. A large number of their players simply don’t know how to play basketball at the NBA level. Among guards, who typically are the leaders of running the team as the coach wants, the only players who knew how to play professional level basketball were Devin Booker and Crawford.

Playing young players more minutes is important for their development but not in ways that fail to teach winning habits. Igor could use Jamal to run his offensive schemes as Crawford had one of the best passing seasons of his career, including a career-high 14 assist game earlier this year.

Having a player like that, one who players can trust and learn from, is huge for a locker room and especially Booker, who throughout the season seemed to really enjoy being teammates with Crawford. Having someone else to rely on to create their own shot was welcomed by Booker, like on his buzzer beater against the Bucks.

For next season, if there’s a spot open on the roster that no promising young player or rotational veteran can occupy, re-signing Crawford for the veteran’s minimum would make a lot of sense and he’s a cheap, low-risk option. He’s a great locker room presence for a team looking to build a positive culture like through the addition of new coach Monty Williams.

When reaching out to prospective free agents, seeing young talent like Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and their first round pick this upcoming draft along with high character guys like Monty, Jamal and even GM James Jones, there could be strong appeal to playing in Phoenix.

*Written and published with permission from Roger Acker