NBA Free Agents 2011: How Jamal Crawford Helps Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers added Jamal Crawford to their roster yesterday. Were they all healthy, Portland would have one of the better, deeper rosters in the NBA. Even as they stand though, Portland landing Crawford is a nice piece to the puzzle.

Adding Crawford gives the Trail Blazers a team that, along with other recent moves, makes for a team that should be entirely different in their style of play than the one Portland put on the court last year. Last year, Portland was dead last in pace, with just 87.9 possessions per year. 

Adding Raymond Felton will change the way the offense runs and having so many athletic guards and forwards like Wesley Matthews, Gerald Wallace, Nicolas Batum and now Jamal Crawford. 

What Crawford gives the Trail Blazers the most is a bona fide scorer to run with the second team. He's a player who has great handles, can create his own shot and can hit from deep. 

He also comes to a team where he's not only welcome, but hugely supported in coming. Even the player with whom he'll be fighting for a starting spot recruited him to come. According to the Oregonian, 

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"(LaMarcus) Aldridge and center Marcus Camby heavily recruited Crawford and (Brandon) Roy—a Seattle neighbor and close friend—consulted him. Wesley Matthews reached out Wednesday evening on the phone for a last-second sales pitch even though the two play the same position."

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Chemistry is an oft-under-appreciated aspect of a team, and the way the team seems to be knit together is another promising sign for the Trail Blazers. If Aldridge can come back sooner rather than later from his heart procedure, this is a team that can challenge for the Western Conference.