NBA Free Agents 2011: Why Should the New York Knicks Avoid Jamal Crawford?

A recent article in the New York Daily News stated that Jamal Crawford would be interested in returning to the New York Knicks if he does not re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks.

Crawford spent four seasons with the Knicks before being traded in the 2008-09 season.

While he was a solid offensive contributor during his time in the Big Apple—headlined by his 20.6 points per game average in 2007-08—the Knicks would be foolish to add Crawford to their roster.

First off, the Knicks aren’t in need of a shooting guard.

Sure, Landry Fields isn’t among the elite players at his position, but he provides New York with defense, energy and rebounding—he led all guards in total rebounds last season—which are three things they’re very much in need of.

Plus, they drafted super-athlete Iman Shumpert this past June and have Toney Douglas, whose style of play suits the shooting guard position better than point guard.

Secondly, the Knicks aren’t in need of scoring help, let alone from a player who isolates often.

With Carmelo Anthony already on the roster as the designated ball-stopper (figuratively speaking), New York would be wise to avoid adding another player with the high potential to stagnate an offense. According to si.com’s Zach Lowe, about 19 percent of the possessions Crawford used up last season came in isolation situations—a higher percentage than both Paul Pierce and Dwyane Wade.

Lastly, the Knicks aren’t in need of another weak defender—especially on a Mike D’Antoni team.

The Knicks have two offensive juggernauts in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. They also have other players that provide solid scoring options. What the Knicks seriously lack, though, is defensive ability.

Adding Jamal Crawford would only further hurt their defense, which was last season’s third worst scoring defense. 

Throughout his 11 years in the NBA, Crawford has never been a good defender. He often gets lost on defense, especially when a screen comes his way. Opposing guards would likely annihilate a backcourt pairing of him and Chauncey Billups.

Plus, Crawford would provide little help in the rebounding department, as evidenced by his career rebounds average of 2.6 (he averaged 1.7 rebounds per game last season), which is one of the Knicks’ weakest areas.

Crawford’s production went downhill last season in comparison to 2009-10, which is a warning sign for most players aged 30 or older. His scoring average (18 to 14.2 points per game), field goal percentage (44.9 to 42.1 percent) and three-point percentage (38.2 to 34.1 percent) each took a substantial hit.

There's reason to believe interim general manager Glen Grunwald will try adding a solid piece to the roster through free agency. New York City hasn’t had a preseason basketball buzz like this since, well, many years ago.

If Grunwald hopes to have the interim tag removed from his current title, he would be wise to avoid bringing Jamal Crawford to the up-and-coming New York Knicks.